Forever Mine- Holding on tight
by 1998Babywriter
Summary: Don Flack and Jamie Lovato have been together for one year and so far nothing has broken them. But will that all change when a seventeen year old boy takes his anger out on flack?
1. Chapter 1: Pregnant

Forever mine.

Chapter 1: Pregnant

Everyone said it would never last but Don Flack and Jamie Lovato have been together for just over a year and they are happy. They're both focused on their careers but will something change that? Can flack and Jamie make their relationship work, can they show everyone they really are meant to be? Can they be the family they're meant to be?

Chapter 1: The anniversary

Don Flack and Jamie Lovato had been together for a year now and they were completely in love. They had both sold their flats and moved into a flat together a few months back, people thought because they worked and lived together they would get sick of each other and end up breaking things off. But Flack and Jamie were incredibly optimistic, after all it worked for Danny and Lindsay, they had met in the lab, moved in together, had two babies and got married and they were still together and happy. Today was their one year anniversary, the one year anniversary from when they had gotten together. "Morning sleepyhead" smiled Jamie as flack walked into the kitchen half-dressed and still half-asleep.

"Morning beautiful" yawned flack rubbing his eyes "You really are an incredible woman you know that?"

"Of course I do" she grinned "Coffee?"

"Please" flack gently wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Stop!" she giggled "I'm going to spill the coffee!"

He grinned and stopped and she continued making coffee. Eventually she handed him and mug and they went out onto the balcony of their central New York apartment. "So baby where are you taking me tonight?"

"I was thinking the Aldea" replied flack "Between fifth and sixth avenues"

"Classy" smiled Jamie before taking a sip of her coffee

They headed to work. Flack went on the case of a murdered woman, whilst Jamie went on the case of a missing teenager who had been found dead along with his girlfriend and their two month old daughter. "So" Danny grinned looking up from his camera "You and Jamie a whole year"

"Yep" nodded flack, unable to stop himself from grinning to "It's been one hell of an extraordinary year with her"

"We had a bet in the lab. About how long you would last" said Danny "I bet ten bucks you'd last longer than a year, so did Lindsay. I think most of the others bet the other way, except for mac. He was generous he bet twenty bucks you'd last longer than a year."

"You've been betting on my love life in the lab!" said flack "Then again why not you lot bet on everything up there. They even bet on how you would react when Lindsay found out she was pregnant with max"

"We like a bet" smirked Danny

"So how is the little tyke?" asked flack

"Yeah still keeping us awake at all hours and Lucy keeps complaining about him" replied Danny "But Lindsay doesn't regret it. She's even been on at me for another. I told her I'm just getting over this one!"

"OI!" Shouted mac "Get that done now and get it back to the lab!" Danny nodded and started clicking away again taking numerous crime scene photographs.

Meanwhile Jamie was working her crime scene with Lindsay and Sheldon Hawkes. It was a pretty horrific scene, at first it looked like a murder-suicide but the more they examined the scene the more it became a murder.

That night they headed to the Aldea where they were seated. The table was decorated with lit candles and white lilies. They ordered their food and drinks then talked. "I can't believe it's been a year" said Jamie, her head resting on her hand.

"Nor can I" replied flack, smiling getting lost in her eyes like he always did. "It's been amazing… do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Maybe… if it's the right person" said Jamie, smiling softly "Do you"

"Yes… I fell in love with you the moment I met you" he smiled "I just fell head over heels in love with you. I knew you were the one from that moment on"

She slipped her fingers into his and squeezed his hand gently "I fell in love with you the moment I met you too". They leaned in and shared a gentle kiss.

After eating flack paid the bill then they walked home over the Brooklyn Bridge and stopped to take in the beauty of New York City at night. The way the moonlight danced across the water, the way lights lit up the city. Hand in hand they walked back to their apartment.

When they arrived back they cracked a bottle of champagne open on the balcony and had a few glasses. "Think that's enough!" Jamie slurred slightly placing her glass on the table

"Definitely" grinned don dropping his glass onto the table. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his body and held her in a tight embrace. The found each other's lips and kissed passionately, their tongues begging entrance to the others mouth. Soon they were vigorously massaging each other's tongues. Lost in their passion flack lifted her up and she wrapped her legs tightly round his waist and he carried her into their bedroom. She ripped off his shirt and his jeans while he undid her dress and threw it into the corner of the room. They tore off each other's underwear and fell into bed tight in their embrace. "I love you" she smiled up at him as he lay on top of her.

"I love you too" he replied before moving back into her soft lips and finding his way inside her. She groaned as he did so and started to stiffen up as they rocked backwards and forwards.

By the next morning they were flat out on their backs, fast asleep, with just a cover to protect their dignity. Flack was the first one out of bed, his head was banging and he stumbled into the kitchen and popped a couple painkillers. Then made himself a coffee. Jamie soon stumbled into the kitchen holding her head "My head is pounding" she rubbed her forehead

"Painkillers are on the side, the kettle's still warm for coffee" said don placing a cup on the counter for her. She rolled her eyes at him and took the cup and made herself a coffee before knocking it back with a couple painkillers. "Thanks for a truly memorable night" she smiled

"Oh well you definitely made it better" he grinned "I didn't think I even drank enough to get a hangover though"

"Me either" replied Jamie.

They pulled their clothes on and headed to work.

Six weeks passed and the happy couple brought down numerous criminals keeping the reputation of the New York police department up. They had never been so happy and don was even thinking about popping the question to her. After all he knew she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But things took a different turn and hindered his plans. Jamie had woken up and ran straight into the bathroom to vomit, she had been doing this for the past couple of days but by midday she was fine again. "You alright in there?" flack asked through the bathroom door.

"Yeah… bleeurrgghh!" replied Jamie throwing up again.

"Could you hurry babe I'm gonna be late for work" said flack

"You think I don't know that!" cried Jamie before retching again. She was in there for another twenty minutes before finally emerging "You sure you're ok?" flack asked, concerned about her.

"Yeah I'll be fine" nodded Jamie "Actually I might call in sick today, I feel like crap and my heads all over the place and I keep throwing up"

"Ok" said flack before heading into the bathroom.

Flack headed to work alone, pondering on way be wrong Jamie. He put a few of her symptoms together and worked out what it may be. But he dismissed it; they were always so careful about it. Probably because they were both so focused on their careers and attainting higher ranks.

Back in their apartment Jamie was having the same epiphany. She had been sick in the mornings, feeling more tired than usual despite the fact she sleep well and her back ached slightly. By lunchtime she was feeling better so she pulled on her jacket and headed out to the pharmacy to buy a test. Then when she got back home she when into the toilet and did the test. She took them with her and placed them on the table and paced back and forth anxiously across the apartment (probably driving the bloke who lived downstairs and worked from home crazy) waiting for them to give her an answer. Finally the time was up. She slowly walked over to the table and peered at them. She picked one up and looked at it in her hands: _Positive._ She stared at it and bit her tongue before picking the second up and it too read: _Positive. _She exhaled and rested down in a chair with the two positive tests in her hands, this was clear enough for her; she was pregnant. Pregnant with Flacks baby. Her head suddenly buzzed with hundreds of questions. Did she even want this? Was it the right time? What would flack say? She didn't know how to answer any of them.

She cooked dinner for her and flack and waited anxiously for him to arrive home from work. "Hey babe" he smiled kissing her lightly on the cheek "Feeling better?"

"Yeah it's passed now" Jamie replied uneasily "How was work?"

"Good. No serial killers on the loose at the moment. It's been a pretty quiet week so far" said flack hanging his coat on the hook.

"I've made dinner" she said gesturing to the kitchen where dinner was ready to be served. "Great" he nodded. So she put the food onto the places and moved them to the table. While he ate at his usual pace she picked uncomfortably at hers. "Are you sure you're ok?" asked flack placing a hand on her arm.

"There's something I need to tell you" she sighed putting her fork down on her plate

"What?" he frowned resting his fork down on the table. She looked down then up at him and into his eyes.

"I'm pregnant" she said finally "I'm certain. I did the test while you were at work. Two of them. They were both positive."

Flack didn't know what to say. He just sat there in a stunned silence for quite some time before finally forming a sentence. "This is something I have never really thought about before"

"Me either" said Jamie "Is it the right time? I mean we've been together for a year and we're stable. It's not like we don't have the finances to support it"

"I guess" flack was going over it in his mind

After a lot of deliberation they finally reached a decision, a decision that would change their lives forever. They were lying in bed together, flack had her wrapped up in his arms and her head was resting on her shoulder. "So that's it then?" she looked up at him "We've made the decision"

"Looks that way" he replied looking down at her

"You do know we've just changed our lives forever right?" she smiled softly

"Yep. Bring on the sleepless nights and endless dirty nappies" flack laughed slightly "But if it looks like you and it's healthy I'll be the happiest man alive"

A couple of weeks passed. Jamie continued to catch her criminals while flack secretly fretted about her and she worried about herself to, well the unborn child she was carrying. Soon she went for her first check-up and flack went with her. "Let's take a look" smiled the nurse. "Ok…"

"Is something wrong?" Jamie asked, when the nurse had spoken for a while. She was very nervous but she needn't have been.

"Well no" replied the nurse "You're having twins though… They're both as healthy as they could be"

Eventually they left, hand in hand, with a picture of their unborn twins. "I wasn't excepting that" admitted flack

"Neither was I" replied Jamie holding the ultrasound in her hand "But we can do it"

"Yes we can" he smiled before kissing her on the lips.

Finally they decided to tell their colleagues up in the crime lab. They all went out for a drink to celebrate their latest victory in bringing down a spree-killer. "Lemonade please" smiled Jamie. They all looked at her, confused.

"Something you're not telling us?" asked Lindsay taking her vodka off the counter. Jamie and flack smiled at each other, then Jamie looked back at Lindsay.

"I'm pregnant" she smiled "I found out six weeks ago"

"Congratulations!" they all cheered. Several of them hugged Jamie and kissed her cheek. While the others chatted about criminals Lindsay and Jamie talked about babies and their men.

Seven weeks passed and they carried on as normal and nothing major happened that would hinder their plans for a normal, quiet life. But that was thrown as far away as possible when flack was put on a case that could drastically change both their lives…


	2. Layla Harrison, The start of a new story

Chapter 2 Layla Harrison and the start of a whole new story

Flack was first on the scene, the body of a man in his fifties had been found in a skip outside his home just outside Brooklyn. The body had been carefully covered up so no one would see him and he would be thrown away and never found, the killer probably planned it that way. Flack was talking to the next door neighbour when he saw Mac and Danny arriving. "Thank you mam I'll come back and talk to your later" she nodded and he headed over to mac and Danny "Do we have a name for our john doe?" asked Danny

"Joseph Jackson, 57" said flack walking towards the tape with Mac and Danny.

"Who found the body?" asked Mac

"Removal men" replied flack "Came to take the skip away and saw a hand poking out of the rubbish. Got suspicious and moved some stuff and found the body"

"Have the relatives been informed?" asked Mac inspecting the skip

"All done" explained flack "Just a son, Hayden Jackson, he was devastated, the mother, Lisa Jackson is banged up for possession and intent to supply class a drugs"

"OK" said mac "Have statements collected from the neighbours"

"I'm off to do that now" said flack

"Ok… let's find out who dumped this man like he was trash" nodded mac and with that flack headed off to collect the statements of joseph Jackson's neighbours. Flack got a lot of very similar statements stating that they hadn't seen anything suspicious but had heard a row from the house then several loud bangs, which he was guessing had been gunshots. He found out that Joseph Jackson was a well-liked and very wealthy man who like to flash his money about but knew how to provoke people. He did find out that even though Joseph was a very well-liked man that most didn't actually know much about him, that he kept himself to himself in that respect.

The son, Hayden Jackson, gave a very wobbly statement. Wobbly in the way that it wasn't consistent and kept changing and he didn't seem to be able to provide himself with a veritable alibi. Though it could be because he was genuinely grief-stricken, flack suspected it was something a little more sinister.

The CSI's started to build up a case with all of the collected evidence. Mac went down to the corners office to collect the results of the post-mortem "Cause of death?"

"He was shot four times" replied Sid "Only one of them was significant enough to have been fatal. That's this one here" he pointed to a gunshot wound on the victim's chest "It only missed his heart by a few centimetres."

"So that's cause of death?" asked Mac looking at Joseph Jackson's body laid out on the morticians table all stitched up following his autopsy"

"It's not the cause of death" Sid shook his head "He has a severe cerebral contusion to the back of his head sustained ante-mortem, most likely from forceful impact. I'd say death was instantaneous"

"So he sustained a cerebral contusion before dying?" frowned mac "What caused it?"

"Joseph Jackson was found in a skip correct?" asked Sid

"Yeah" nodded mac

"Well I'd say looking at this head wound he fell at least ten feet and whacked his head on the side of the metal skip which smashed his head open and caused a massive cerebral contusion before he died" replied Sid "The gunshot would've killed him eventually, but it would've probably taken nearly an hour. When Joseph Jackson whacked his head he died instantly. So my final conclusion on C.O.D is a major cerebral contusion to the back of the head."

"So he was shot, pushed out of the window, hit his head and died instantaneously?" said mac "When was T.O.D?"

"He died at least thirty-six hours before he was found" replied Sid "Rigor was full set in and the body was already starting to decompose"

"So he was shot pushed out of the window, presumably of his house-"

"I'd say he fell" said Sid "The way the body was laying in the skip. If the window was opened and he was close enough to it, say he staggered back because of his other gunshot wounds and when he was shot through the chest he staggered back even further and as a result fell out of the window"

"Thanks" replied mac before leaving and heading back up to the lab where Danny and Lindsay were combing through the evidence collected from the scene.

"OK" said Danny going into Mac's office "We matched fingerprints found on the skip to the removal workers who provided and to Joseph Jackson himself but there are two unidentified sets on the skip"

"Two?" said mac "So our killer had an accomplice but the post-mortem doesn't suggest he was chucked into the skip. He was pushed from at least ten feet above it. Which means he was pushed out the window of his house."

"So the killers break in, shoot him and shove him out the window, cover him up and hope he'll be deposed off and never found" said Danny "But we didn't find anything to suggest they'd broken in and when we searched the house nothing seemed out of place"

"He died at least thirty-six hours before he was found" said Mac, something didn't add up. "Something doesn't add up"

"He might've known his killers enough to let them in" suggested Danny "I'll talk to flack, go see the son, get his prints. See if they're a match"

"Ok" nodded Mac getting out of his chair. Danny headed down to the precinct to talk to flack about the case. "Hey flack" Danny called out walking over to flacks desk.

"Any suspects?" asked flack

"Nothing there are two sets of unidentified prints on the skip suggesting there were to perps" explained Danny "We think they may belong to the son but his prints aren't on record"

"We should go have a chat with him. I mean he didn't give a very straight statement" replied flack "So what was cause of death?"

"He died of gun-shot wounds. Three to the torso, one to the chest. Then he fell out of the window, at least ten feet into the skip, whacked his head and died instantaneously."

"So when was he forced off the perch?" asked flack

"He died at least 36 hours prior to being discovered by the removal men" said Danny "He died in that skip. He has a head wound that was consistent with whacking his head on the side of the skip before death"

"Seems very planned. They knew he had a skip, they must've known when it was being taken away. They wouldn't have killed him weeks before it was due to be taken away. It had to be someone who knew him" said Flack

"That's what mac and I were thinking" agreed Danny "There's nothing to suggest anyone broke in, so he must've known his killers enough to let them in"

Flack and Danny headed back to the victim's street with a forensic test in tow to interview the residents again to see if they remembered anything the might of seen or heard anything on the night of the shooting. Most of the residents recalled hearing a blazing and violent argument followed by several loud bangs but no one recalled seeing anyone suspicious. "I'm stumped. If so many people heard the gunshots why on earth did none of them call the police?" said flack

"Maybe they were scared?" suggested Danny "Are we gonna go talk to the son again, see if he saw anything. I mean he gave a pretty shabby statement and all the evidence points to someone close to Joseph Jackson."

"He doesn't have an alibi either. I checked it, he wasn't there the night of the murder." said flack "And as no one saw anyone suspicious he could've done it. I think he might've done it, he kept changing his mind about where he was and what he was doing at the time."

So they headed back to Joseph Jackson's house to talk to Hayden Jackson, the deceased's son. Flack rapped on the door and waited for Hayden to open up. "Come on Hayden open up!" The door soon opened. "Have you found out who killed dad yet?" he asked

"No. can we come in?" asked flack. Hayden nodded and showed them in. he took them into the living room where a young female was sitting down waiting for him to return. Hayden sat down while Danny and Flack remained standing. "Where were you the night of the murder? Because you weren't working at chucky cheeses on 33rd street"

"You can't think I had anything to do with this!" Hayden defended angrily

"Where were you the night of the murder?" flack repeated himself.

"I didn't kill my father!" shouted Hayden

"Answer the question!" demanded flack.

"I was at Layla's house" said Hayden

"I take this is Layla" Danny gestured to the young female sitting beside Hayden.

"Yes he was" she said distantly, as if her thoughts were elsewhere, as if she wasn't even there "We were studying"

"OK, did you father have enemies?"

"I don't know" Hayden shrugged "He was a powerful man. He was CEO for the company he worked for"

"And where did he work?" asked Danny

"Ablemans construction" said Hayden

"We'd like to take your prints to clear you" said Danny. Hayden and Layla were both printed. "Thank you" said Flack before he and Danny left. "Something wasn't right there. Mean the way he reacted when we asked where he was the night of the murder. Everything points to him"

"I know. But what motive would he have?" asked Danny. His phone bleeped. "We got a match to the fingerprints. They belonged to Hayden Jackson and Layla Harrison"

"They lied" said flack. He and Danny ran back to the house and rapped on the door. "HAYDEN JACKSON OPEN UP!" Yelled flack. They heard a door slam shut. "They've got out the back!" flack kicked the door in and they ran through the house and out the back door where they saw Hayden pushing Layla over the fence. Soon as she had jumped off the other side Hayden climbed up the fence but Flack grabbed his foot. "Oh no you don't sonny boy!" said flack pulling Hayden off the fence. He pinned him down to the ground while Danny jumped over the fence and chased Layla. But she was gone. for a girl who was fairly heavily pregnant she couldn't half run fast. Sighed he walked back to the fence where spotted something glinting in the sunlight. He bent down; it was a gun. Danny picked it up carefully and found his way back into the garden. "Hey flack found this just over the fence, must've fallen out of Layla's pocket" He showed flack and Hayden the gun "Trying to dispose of evidence?" said flack before cuffing Hayden. He and Danny took Hayden back to the precinct and booked him in before taking him to interrogation. "Why was the gun there? Where you trying to get rid of it?" questioned flack.

"I didn't shoot my dad" said Hayden

"So why did we find the gun on the other side of your fence?" asked Flack "I'm guessing fell out Layla's pocket when you pushed her over the fence."

"Dads killers must've left it there after they shot him" replied Hayden

"We never told your dad had been shot" said flack "How do you know he was shot?"

"I don't know" shrugged Hayden ringing his hands. "I'm just guessing seeing as you found a gun just over my fence and dad is dead"

"Ok" flack stood up "Where does Layla live?"

"She didn't do it" replied Hayden

"Where does she live?" repeated flack

"I'm not telling you" smirked Hayden "You're a detective work it out"

"Stop playing games with me" flack grew angry "Tell me where she lives"

"You're a detective do some detective work" Hayden taunted

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Demanded flack.

"No" Hayden laughed. Flack shook his head "Take him back to the cage" before leaving the room. Danny was waiting outside. "Hayden didn't kill joseph Jackson his prints aren't on the gun but Layla Harrison's prints are on the gun specifically the trigger. She shot him"

"Hold up" said flack "She shot him? Why what motive would a sixteen year old girl have to shoot a successful businessman?"

"Maybe he did something to her?" said Danny. Flack bit his lip then went back into the interrogation room. "Alright tell me where she is"

Hayden scoffed "No. why would I?"

"She killed your father" said flack

"Big whoop" shrugged "The old bastard had it coming to him. He was a vile bastard"

"Tell me where Layla lives" demanded flack slamming his hand down on the table

"Ok" smirked Hayden "3556 Madison square block 34th street"

"Thank you" said flack. Flack ordered that Hayden to remain in custody to prevent him getting to Layla and warning her the police were onto her.

The address turned out to be a fake and flack was furious at being messed around. "Right where is she?" demanded flack going into the interrogation room.

"I don't know!" Hayden rolled his eyes.

"Yes you do!" retorted flack "You know exactly where she is!"

"Go do a little detective work and find her. That is your job after all" grinned Hayden

"STOP MESSING ME ABOUT!" Shouted flack slamming his hand down on the table "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Hayden reached his head as if he were to answer then spat in flacks face. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

Hayden pushed out of the chair and launched himself at flack. He punched him in the face, kneed him the ribcage, which provoked flack into hitting him back. Mac stormed into the room. "Flack out. You sit down"

"I was about to get him to tell me where is!" said flack nursing a split lip

"Out and calm down!" ordered mac. Flack glared at Hayden then left the room where he met Jamie. "Oh baby what happened?" taking his head in her hands

"The son of a bitch attacked me" flack spat "He wouldn't tell me where the girls hiding"

"Maybe mac will be able to get it out of him" said Jamie "Come on let's clean you up" flack followed her and got cleaned up.

Even Jo couldn't get it out of Hayden where Layla was hiding and she was the best there was at getting things out of people. They managed to track her down to a bedsit on 55th street. But things got out of hand. "Layla Harrison?!" flack called out "LAYLA HARRISON!"

They heard a scuffling noise and ran in the direction it was coming from. "LAYLA HARRISON!" Flack yelled "STOP AND GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!"

She stopped dead in her tracks. They thought she was giving herself up. She stood for a moment and flack and Danny thought it was safe to approach but suddenly turned around and pointed a gun at their heads. Flack and Danny took several steps back. "PUT THE GUN DOWN LAYLA!" flack shouted, trying to stay calm and figure out what to do.

"I didn't mean to kill him" she sobbed

"You shot him four times. That doesn't just happen!" replied flack.

"He was going to force me to have my baby adopted!" tears spilled down her cheeks

"So you killed him!" exclaimed Danny,

"I never meant to" cried Layla still holding the gun firmly in her hands

"Where did you get the gun?" asked flack holding his gun in his hands ready to fire if she tried anything nasty. His head whirled with thoughts about his own life. The unborn twins, Jamie the love of his life.

"My brother" she replied sniffing loudly "He lent it to me for protection against Mr Jackson"

"Why would need protection against Joseph Jackson?" asked flack edging closer

"He tried to rape me" she burst into another fit of tears "But Hayden stopped him. He was going to kill him but he couldn't do it."

"Why didn't you report it?" flack questioned "Could've saved yourself ending up on a murder charge and facing a life sentence! We could've helped you!"

"I was too scared" she cried "I didn't think you believe me"

"Of course we'd believe you" said flack "Now put the gun down and get down on the ground"

"I'm not going to prison" she tried to compose herself

"Yes you are" said Danny "You killed a guy. The night of the murder what were you arguing about?"

"He was trying to force me to abort my baby" she replied "He was going to call social services to take her away from me. I didn't want to have her adopted and he wouldn't listen. He slapped me and grabbed my neck and tried to strangle me but Hayden pushed him off…"

"And you shot him" flack ended her sentence

"He deserved it" Layla spat "Interfering bastard!"

Flack and Danny heard a clash behind them and Hayden stumbled into the room. "Put the gun down Layla!"

"You lying little sod!" seethed flack "You knew where she was the whole time and you told me you didn't!"

"I was trying to protect her… I didn't know she had another gun" said Hayden "Layla you used your gun to murder my dad and they found it… whose gun is that?"

"It's my gun" she replied calmly still pointing the gun at Danny and flack "My brother was fixing it for me so he lent me his and…"

"You killed my dad with it?" he asked

"Yes. I had to. You know that" she nodded

"I know. He deserved it" said Hayden nodding in agreement.

"I never meant to hurt him. Tell them I didn't mean to hurt him" she pleaded with him "I did it because I was scared of him because he tried to rape me"

"That doesn't justify murdering someone!" flack exclaimed "Admit it you killed him in cold blood because he was going to make you have your baby adopted"

"I killed him because I was scared!" she cried

"You're a coldblooded killer" said Danny "Your DNA was not underneath his fingernails. If as you said he had slapped you and grabbed your neck and tried to strangle you your DNA would've been underneath his finger nails."

"He did!" she insisted

"So what you didn't like what he was saying and you pulled your brothers gun and shot him" said flack "I bet he didn't even touch you"

"HE DID!" She screamed

"Put your gun down on the ground and lay down on the ground" said flack edging closer so he could move in and make an arrest.

"I'm not going to prison!" she cried wildly she moved the gun so it was pointed directly at Danny.

"Yes you are" replied flack "For a very long time"

What happened next happened in slow motion. Before flack could act she had fired the gun twice hitting Danny in the torso. Danny fell to the ground while Layla stood watching without a care in the world. Flack and Hayden and both frozen as the gunshots had sounded shaking the room. "DANNY!" Yelled flack watching as his friend fell to the ground with two holes in his chest. Flack ran over to Danny whilst Hayden ran over to Layla to dissuade her from shooting again. "Come on Layla give this up you're only making it worse for yourself! You'll only be in prison longer if you carry on like this" pleaded Hayden. "I'm not going to jail" she hissed

"You killed him Layla" whispered Hayden "In cold blood, I know he deserved it but please stop this!" But Layla wasn't going to jail and she knew the only way out was to shoot to kill. "Danny keep looking at me" said flack yanking his radio from his jeans "OFFICER DOWN OFFICER DOWN! DANNY'S BEEN SHOT!"

The controller sent extra units and an ambulance to their location.

Back at the lab Adam Ross had received a call from flack's precinct telling him Danny had been shot. He ran to macs office to tell him. "Danny's been shot!"

"What?!" exclaimed Mac. Mac tang flack as he applied pressure to Danny's bleeding wounds. He was terrified that A) Danny was going to die in front of him and B) That Layla would shpot and kill him and he would never see Jamie again or meet their unborn twins. Mac told him he was getting the emergency services to them and that he was on his way and that he was going to ring Lindsay to inform her that Danny had been shot.

"Mac's on his way" flack whispered to Danny "And so is Lindsay"

"No tell her to stay with Lucy and max" croaked Danny. Flack pushed his hands down on Danny's wounds and looked up at Layla "You gotta give this up"

"I'm not going to jail" she seethed. Layla moved the gun so it was pointing at flack. Flack wasn't taking any chances and made a grab for his gun but realised it was gone. When he looked up again both Layla and Hayden were pointing guns at him. Hayden had his gun and before he had a chance to grab Danny's gun Layla fired her gun hitting flack in the arm. Without a second thought flack grabbed Danny's gun and fired it three times at Layla each one hitting her in the chest. Hayden caught her in his arms and fell to the ground with her arms. "No Layla no" tears rolled down his cheeks "I love you"

"And I love you" she croaked before coughing up blood "I'm sor- sorry- I coul- couldn't face li- life in j- jail…"

"I'll look after the baby" he sobbed holding her tight. She shook her head as if to say no. Hayden kissed her lips. As he pulled away her eyes slid shut and she breathed her last breath and died in his arms.

"NO!" Screamed Hayden clinging tightly to her. Flack turned his head away from them and focused on his colleague, on keeping him alive. All he was thinking about right now was Jamie, their unborn twins and Danny's life hanging in the balance.


	3. Chapter 3: Missing Guns

Chapter 3 Hazy Daze

Moments later paramedics and police officers flooded into the room. Last in were Lindsay and mac. Lindsay ran over and fell to her knees by Danny. Paramedics rushed over and stemmed the bleeding before rushing him to hospital. Lindsay went with him terrified that he wouldn't survive and would leave her two young children fatherless. When the commotion cleared flack saw Jamie heading in his direction. She sighed a massive sigh of relief when she saw him and ran over to him and threw herself at him. He hugged her tightly, being held at gunpoint is really one of those moments that makes you think about the important things in life, the people who mean the most to you. And he had been thinking about Jamie the whole time, because right now she and the unborn twins where the most important people to him. And he had been terrified at the thought of being shot and never seeing her again and never meeting their unborn twins. "I was so worried about you" she said her head nuzzled into his chest.

"I'm in one piece" he sighed holding her tightly "Just about"

She noticed his bleeding arm and looked up at him "You need to get that seen to" flack nodded. Just as they were leaving they saw mac, Jo and a paramedic trying to prise Layla's dead body from Hayden's arms. "Come on" whispered Jamie "Let's just get you fixed"

"Ok" he replied simply and together they headed to the hospital where the doctor removed the bullet and stitched him then discharged him. On the way they went to see how Danny was doing. Danny was out of theatre. "How is he?" asked Jamie as she and flack looked at Danny as he lay hooked up to numerous machines which they all knew were the only things keeping him alive.

"It was touch and go for a bit" replied Lindsay "I thought I was going to lose him" tears trickled down her cheeks. Flack took her in his arms and hugged her. "He'll be ok" flack tried to reassure her. She nodded tearfully.

"Least she can't hurt anyone else" Lindsay tried to wipe her tears but more fell. Flack and Jamie stayed for a while before eventually leaving and heading back to their apartment. They changed out of their clothes, flack bagged his bloody shirt and climbed into bed together. But they couldn't sleep so they curled up in each other's arms. It had been a tough day, especially for flack and he knew that she was one and today had really shown him how fragile life was, how quickly it could've been snatched away. "I was so terrified that I'd never see you again" flack admitted "That I'd never meet the babies. My mind was racing all over the place."

"Well you're here now and that's all that matters" she smiled softly. He nodded and placed his hand on stomach. "Did you feel that?" asked Jamie smiling happily at him.

"Yeah" he smiled back her before kissing her gently on the lips. "I love you Jamie Lovato… today made me realise how much I love you and how important you are to me… and I know that I want to spend my life with you…. Marry me?"

Jamie's mouth fell open in shock, she didn't know what to say! She hadn't been expecting him to propose to her so this was a total shock. "Ok" her face broke into a beautiful smile that melted flacks heart.

The following morning Flack was woken by his mobile ringing loudly beside his head. "Mac… it's half six" he yawned sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He'd had a rough night, he'd barely slept because his mind was running round in circles. He was worried about Danny and kept thinking about what could've happened if he hadn't shot her down.

"Actually it's ten past eleven" replied mac "I thought you'd be out of bed by now"

"Yeah well I had a rough night. I barely slept. My mind was running round in circles" yawned flack "What was it you wanted?"

"Not much" said mac "I just wanted to let you know that Layla's baby survived. Sid delivered it in the morgue and they got it to hospital as quickly as they could. It was a little girl, she was eight weeks premature. Layla's brother has been to see her and has named her Rose. She's in ICU but they think she'll pull through."

"I suppose that's a good thing… has Hayden been told?" asked Flack

"Yeah but he won't be able to see her" explained mac "Because of his offence. He covered up the body and tried to tamper with evidence"

"Ok" Flack yawned again before hanging up. He stumbled out of bed and into the living room. "Who was on the phone?" asked Jamie

"Mac" replied Flack "Sid saved Layla's baby. Her brothers named her Rose. She's in ICU but they think she'll make it"

"That's good" Jamie nodded as Flack sunk down beside her. "You look rough"

"I tossed and turned all night. I hardly slept." He sighed.

They spent most of the curled up in each other's arms and talking. It was a peaceful day and Flack did manage to get a bit more sleep that night.

The next morning when flack got ready for work he reached for his on duty weapon only to find it was missing. The last time he remembered seeing it was when Hayden Jackson had it pointed at his head. Everything had been a total haze after that. He realised he hadn't gotten his gun back from Hayden because he'd left before mac and Jo had prised Layla's body from his arms. He and Jamie eventually headed to work and flack checked in with his boss about his gun but… "Hayden Jackson ran off after Mac and Jo prised Layla Harrison's body from him" said Officer Mendez "We chased him but he got away"

"What?" said flack "What about my gun? He had it, he was threatening me with it?"

"Your gun wasn't there" replied Officer Mendez "The CSI's processed the scene after the body was taken away for autopsy and your gun wasn't there. They would've let you know if was"

"So he ran off with my gun?" asked flack

"Looks that way" nodded Officer Mendez "Because we thought you had it. You shot her so we thought you had your gun"

"No I shot her with Danny's gun because he took my gun when I went to help Danny after she had shot him" replied flack

"Well there's a warrant out for his arrest" explained Officer, as he spoke the phone beside him started ringing. He picked up and spoke for a few minutes before the call ended. "They just picked Hayden Jackson up on the corner of Third Avenue. He wasn't in possession of any firearms"

"So he's ditched it" said flack

"Or hidden it somewhere he'll be able to find it" suggested Officer Mendez

"He won't be getting bail. He tampered with evidence, he threatened a police officer and lied to us about her whereabouts" replied flack

"Depends what the courts say" said Officer Mendez "Might rule extenuating circumstances but that isn't overly likely"

Flack headed to the cells where Hayden was waiting to be charged. The custody Officer let him into the cells and he headed over to Hayden's. He unlocked the cell and went inside closing the door behind him so Hayden couldn't get out. "Hey Hayden"

"Detective flack" he smirked standing up off the bench and walking over to flack.

"Where's my gun Hayden?" flack asked as Hayden strode confidently towards him

"Don't know what you're talking about?" shrugged Hayden

"Yes you do" replied flack, in a no nonsense tone "The one you took, threatened me with, ran off with and hid. Know the one I'm talking about?"

"No. I don't know where no guns are" said Hayden, leaning into flacks face.

"Come on Hayden" said flack "If you cooperate with me I'll tell the judge and you'll get a lesser sentence. They like it when criminals cooperate"

"I don't where no guns are" grinned Hayden, clearly he did he just wanted to play games with flack.

"You stole it and you hid it!" said flack, becoming angry "Now where is it?"

"I ain't telling you" smirked Hayden "Because you're a murderer. Because of you I can't ever see my baby! You murdered my girlfriend!"

"

"She was a coldblooded killer" replied flack "She shot two police officers and she shot your dad dead. Detective Messer is intensive care, they don't know if he'll live. If he dies you'll be looking at accessory to murder."

"I hope he dies" seethed Hayden "I HOPE HE SUFFERS!"

"He's got two children!" snapped flack

"I don't care" snarled Hayden "And I hope you get killed. I hope your girlfriend dies in your arms. I hope you suffer"

"Where's the gun?" flack tried to calm himself

"MURDERER!" Yelled Hayden. Then out of nowhere he grabbed flack and using all his strength threw him at the wall. Flack hit the wall headfirst, causing him to drop the floor momentarily and nurse a deep cut on his forehead. Giving Hayden enough time to kick him in the face. Flack reacted by punching Hayden in the jaw. Angering Hayden even more. He went absolutely mental. He punched flack back, then shoved him into the wall again, causing flack to once again fall to the floor. But this time Hayden didn't hesitate. He threw himself at flack and pinned him to the floor. For a boy of his age he was incredibly strong. He started pummelling flacks jaw, who did manage to head butt him very hard. Hayden had then jumped off him and started stamping on his head. He then manage to ram flack headfirst into the wall, this time knocking flack out cold. He took flacks cuffs from his belt and cuffed him to the bench, then whipped his badge from his belt and made a run for it.

When Officers saw Hayden running out they gave chase but he once again had gotten away from them. Two rushed to the cells and found flack unconscious and cuffed to the bench. They uncuffed him and called an ambulance. He came round in the hospital with Jamie by his side. The doctor came to see him soon after. "Well your x-ray looks fine but I would recommend a few days off work though and some strong painkillers."

"Thanks" replied flack, his head was absolutely thumping. The doctor smiled and left. "Can't believe he did that!" said flack

"He cuffed you the bench" replied Jamie

"He stamped on my face and threw me at the wall. He just lost it" said flack as they walked through the hospital halls. "He went mental after I called Layla a coldblooded killer"

"They'll catch him" said Jamie

"I hope they do" sighed flack, remembering what Hayden had said to him.

Flacks boss ordered four officers to search for the missing gun but after a week it still hadn't turned up. Hayden had hidden that gun for a reason, he wanted it for a reason. Though they did capture Hayden and he was sentenced the five years in prison.

After a couple days things returned to normal for flack and Jamie, the same couldn't really be said for Lindsay and Danny, whose life was still hanging in the balance. Flack had been to see him a few times and he did feel somewhat guilty. He didn't exactly know why he felt this guilty. He had seen several officers shot in the line of duty, maybe it was because Danny was his best mate that made this time different. Eventually flacks guilt eased when Danny eventually regained consciousness five days after the shooting and was discharged the week after. Jamie told him he there was nothing he could've done to prevent what had happened to Danny, but he did the right thing in the end in shooting Layla dead. They decided to start planning their wedding, they didn't want to hang around and wait till after the twins were born; that would be a hectic mess.


	4. Chapter 4: Trashed

Six had weeks passed since the shooting of Layla Harrison, Hayden had be caught and sentenced to serve five years Pennsylvania state prison. By now Danny was back at work and life had returned to normal. Flack and Jamie had put their energies and hearts into planning there wedding. They had set a date, they booked the church and the reception venue and sent out invites. Flack had chosen Danny as his best man and Jamie had chosen her two nieces and Lucy Messer as her bridesmaids. The last thing Jamie had to get was her wedding dress.

Jamie went dress shopping with Lindsay who had gotten married to Danny in a registry office, without all these things. They had a real laugh and Jamie tried on as many dresses as she could. Finally she found the one "What do you think?" she asked Lindsay twirling around in the satin dress.

"It's perfect" smiled Lindsay bouncing one year old max on her knee "Flack will melt when he sees you in that"

"You think?" asked Jamie, smiling. Lindsay nodded. Jamie looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was simplistic but beautiful. The strapless bust was fitted, then from there on the satin flowed all the way to the floor. She ran her hand across the satin and smiled. "This one"

The shop assistant took her measurements and gave Jamie the bill. She had chosen her bridesmaids, her two nieces and little Lucy Messer. So they got their dresses next. Jamie and Lindsay looked at dresses. "What about these?" asked Lindsay holding up tree pink dresses.

"Oh they're perfect" Jamie gushed "Let's put get the girls try them on" she took her nieces hands "Will you try some dresses on for Auntie Jamie?"

"Ok!" they chirped excitedly. The shop assistants helped the girls into their dresses and too them out to show Jamie. "I think these are the ones. Oh you girls look so gorgeous!"

Eventually they left the dress shop and Jamie and Lindsay headed their separate ways. Jamie took her nieces home then headed back to her apartment, knackered from the day. All Jamie wanted to do was flop down on the sofa, put the TV on and relax. Yawning she climbed out of her car and locked it before walking into her apartment building. She got chatting to a woman from a couple of floors below in the elevator before she got off. Finally in reached her floor and she stepped out, thinking about slipping into a nice warm bath. But when she got there the door was already open. Confused she pushed it open and called out "Don? Don…" she tailed off when she saw the living room had been totally trashed. The pillows had been thrown on the floor, the sofa had been slashed viciously with a knife and half the stuffing had been pulled out and chucked across the floor. The TV was smashed to pieces on the floor, glass scattered across the floor. All the pictures that had been on the walls had been ripped off the walls and smashed onto the floor. The glass coffee table had been smashed too. All the ornaments had been broken too. Books and papers were scattered across the floor. "What the hell…" she felt her body start to tremble as tears of fear welled in her eyes. Then on the wall she saw the message that scared her. _'I WILL GET YOU GET DETECTIVE FLACK! YOU WILL PAY!"_

She stumbled further inside and went into the kitchen. It had been completely ransacked. Plates and bowls had been snatched to the floor. The cutlery draw had been thrown at the wall and left on the floor, all the cutlery scattered around it. All the drawers had been ripped open and ransacked. The cupboard doors were hanging off the doors and some of them had been attacked with an axe. The same message had been scribbled on the walls of the kitchen _'YOU WILL PAY DETECTIVE FLACK!"_

She stumbled out of the kitchen and walked further into the apartment and investigated the rest of the destruction. She went to their bedroom next. As she went in tears started to roll down her cheeks. Their bedroom had been completely and utterly wrecked, all their pictures had been thrown on the floor and the glass had been smashed to pieces. The wardrobe doors were hanging off their hinges, all of their clothes, both hers and flacks, were strewn across the floor and across the bed. The drawers had been pulled out and chucked across the room. The mirror was smashed. Unbelievably her beside drawer had been left untouched but flacks had been ripped open and ransacked. She knew he kept his dads ring, which was a precious family heirloom and was incredibly precious to flack, not to mention worth a lot of money, in there. There was no guessing whoever had done this had taken it. Especially if they weren't doing this to get back at him. Again sprayed across the cream coloured walls was the same message to flack _'YOU WILL PACY DETECTIVE FLACK!" _she gulped nervously and backed out of the room.

She walked into the room they had started decorating for the twins, the cribs she and flack had spent a day assembling together had been smashed to smithereens. The wardrobe doors had been bashed in, all the clothes they had brought had been strewn across the floor. The toys they had bought and the things they had stored in boxes had been broken and thrown carelessly across the floor. The paint tins that had once been sat in the corner had been opened and the paint that had been inside them had been splashed around the room. The carpet was wrecked and so was everything else. Yet again the same message was splashed across the wall. _'YOU WILL PAY DETECTIVE FLACK!"_ Jamie burst into tears and quickly left the room.

Jamie shaking went into the bathroom and just like every other room it was trashed. All their liquids had been squirted across the walls and floor. Their towels had been pulled out the linen cupboard and chucked on the floor. The cupboards had been ransacked and their stuff thrown around the room as if it were trash. The cupboard doors were hanging off their hinges and had been sprayed with graffiti. Scrawled across the white tiles was the same message that had been left in all the other rooms. _'YOU WILL PAY DETECTIVE FLACK!"_

Trembling she stumbled out of the bathroom and out of the apartment itself. Her home had destroyed, all of their possessions had been wrecked. Nothing had been left untouched or undamaged. Hands shaking, she took her mobile out of her bag and dialled flack. She held the phone to her ear as tears streamed down her cheeks. _"You have reached don flack leave a message after the tone"_

"Don please come home" she sobbed into her phone "We've been broken into… the whole apartments been trashed. Everything's wrecked." She left the voicemail for flack and called mac. _"Hello?" macs comforting tones came through_

"Do you know where don is?" she asked, sniffing.

"_No, sorry" replied Mac "Has something happened?"_

"We've been broke into" said Jamie "And I can't get hold of don"

"_I'll track him down and send someone round" reassured mac_

"Thank you" replied Jamie before ending the call.

Not long after she had called mac, Danny arrived. "You ok?" he asked as Jamie pulled herself to her feet.

"I think so" she nodded "I haven't touched a thing."

"Were you here?" asked Danny

"I was out" Jamie shook her head "Looking for my wedding dress and when I got back I found the door open and the place totally trashed"

"Ok" nodded Danny "Do you know if they've taken anything?"

"I don't think so… but they left a message" replied Jamie "On walls. In every room. The same message. They say don will pay"

"Pay for what?" frowned Danny

"I don't know" sighed Jamie.

Meanwhile flack had just returned to his precinct. "That was an easy one" flack grinned to his colleague as she slid into his chair. He took his mobile out of his pocket and switched it back on. A message quickly appeared onscreen. _'1 New voicemail from Jamie". _ Flack pressed play and listened to the message. _"Don please come home" she sobbed into her phone "We've been broken into… the whole apartments been trashed. Everything's wrecked." _Hearing her trembling voice made him cripple with guilt. Without a second thought he grabbed his car keys and ran out of the precinct. "Hey flack!" yelled his colleague whom he had just made an arrest with "Where you going?"

Flack ignored him and ran out to his car and raced home. He rushed into the elevator up to their floor. After what seemed like hours he finally reached their floor and ran out of the elevator and down the corridor towards Jamie. "Don!" she cried with relief

"You ok?" he asked taking her in his arms

"Yeah" she nodded "I wasn't here. When I got back I saw the door open and found the whole place trashed. They've ruined everything don"

"I need you to see if anything's been taken" said mac walking out of the trashed apartment.

"Ok" nodded flack. He took Jamie's hand and together they stepped inside their home. Flack was shocked at the amount the amount of damage this intruder had caused. Then he saw the message scribbled on the walls. The message that was clearly intended for him. He rubbed his chin, racking his brains for who could've done this but no one came to mind. So far it looked like nothing was gone but that all changed when they went into their bedroom. Flack seeing his drawer had been ripped open, rushed over and checked if his dads ring was still there. "No" he shook his "They took my dad's ring"

"They took my jewellery" replied Jamie seeing her jewellery box lying smashed and empty on the floor. "All of my precious things"

Danny came in after them, gasping slightly at the destruction caused by the intruder out to get flack. "Anything missing?"

"My dad's police academy ring and most of Jamie's jewellery" replied flack.

"I lifted a print off the TV" said Danny "Got a match to Hayden Jackson, 17"

"Hayden?" frowned flack "The son of the joseph Jackson. His girlfriend killed his dad and tried to help her cover it up. I thought he had just been transferred to Pennsylvania state prison?"

"He escaped from custody, killing two officers" explained Danny "I thought your precinct would've told you since you were on the case?"

"No, I didn't hear anything" replied flack "When was this?"

"He escaped two days ago. Mac just found out and informed me after I found the print" replied Danny "What does he want with you?"

"I… shot his girlfriend down" said flack "After she shot you then shot me in the arm I shot her three times and she died in his arms."

"You had to take her out. It was the right thing" replied Danny as mac walked into the room.

"This was found in your mailbox" he held up an envelope in a gloved hand. "It's addressed to you flack"

"I checked the box this morning before I left. Which was after the postman would've come and it was empty" said Jamie

"We think it may have been left in there by Hayden" explained mac "Danny bag it and get it back to the lab for analysis"

"Yes boss" Danny took the envelope in a gloved hand and carefully placed it in an evidence bag. Flack saw the damage inflicted on the rest of their apartment. All their hard work, the work they'd put it to make it a home for them was ruined. Irreplaceable things had been destroyed and they couldn't get those things back. It was going to take weeks to repair the apartment and replace everything that had been broken.

Flack and Jamie went to stay with her mum and dad in their spare room while the CSI's processed the scene and tried to pin down where Hayden Jackson might be.

Danny had been given the task of processing the letter which had found its way into flack and Jamie's letterbox. He carefully dusted the envelope for prints and lifted those that appeared then sent to Adam for identification. Then he carefully prised the envelope open and removed its contents with tweezers. A piece of lined paper and something Danny recognised as pregnancy ultrasound image. First he dusted the piece of lined paper for prints then dusted the ultrasound image for prints and sent them off to Adam for analysis. After they had finished analysing they met in the main evidence room. "What we got?" asked mac

"Well it looks like Hayden was the only person to enter the flat" said Jo "His prints were the only ones found. We lifted them off all the damaged property and his were the only ones we've been able to identify"

"Ok" said Mac "What did we get off that letter?"

"I lifted prints and Adams still going over them but I have looked at the contents and I definitely think he's trying to send flack a message" replied Danny, he tapped the table screen and blew up the letter. "Basically saying flack will pay for killing Layla and for him not being able to see Rose. Flack shouldn't have done it and deserves to be punished"

"Guys we may have a problem" Adam raced into the room holding his hands up in there. "I matched the prints on the envelope to Hayden and an unidentified perp. But here's the weird bit fingerprints from the ultrasound image are a match to Hayden Jackson and to Layla Harrison and she's been dead nearly two months."

Mac tapped the screen blowing the ultrasound image up. "Do we know whose this is?"

"I thought it was Jamie's" said Danny "But maybe not. Layla Harrison was pregnant. She told us before she shot me. well we could see she was. That's why she killed Joseph Jackson, because he was trying to force her to have Rose adopted"

"And autopsy confirmed that" agreed Jo

"So is this hers?" she pulled the image closer and looked for a name

"It's hers, her name and date of birth are on there. They always appear on ultrasounds" explained Jo

"But why would Hayden Jackson send this to flack?" asked Mac

"There was a message scribbled on the back in permanent marker" replied Danny. He tapped on the image of reverse of the ultrasound image and blew it up.

"You took mine and I'll take yours" mac read aloud "Flack took away his child and he intends to the same. He intends to kill Jamie and their unborn twins because flack killed Layla and he can't see their baby"

"But flack had to take her out" said Hawkes "She shot two police officers. He must know it was procedure"

"Yes but he doesn't see it that way" mac shook his head "Flack took an innocent life as well as a guilty one. When he shot her in self-defence he killed an innocent child and that child was Hayden's. Flack took his chance to be a father away from him and the girl he loved away from him. So in his eyes flack doesn't deserve his chance to be a father"


	5. Chapter 5: Jamie's fears

Chapter 5: Jamie's fears

When Jamie and Flack arrived at her parent's house they were welcomed with open arms. "This is a surprise J, you haven't come round in ages" said Jamie's youngest brother, Nathan.

"Yeah I know" replied Jamie

"What's made you come round tonight?" asked Jamie's oldest brother, Lucas "The neighbours driving you crazy?"

"No. not the neighbours" Jamie shook her head pushing pas Lucas.

"Missing your wonderful brothers?" grinned Nathan.

"NO" She snapped before pushing past him and going into the kitchen. Lucas and Nathan turned to Flack. "What's up with her?" asked Lucas

"But it's the mental hormones that come with being pregnant!" laughed the middle brother, Jasper

"No it's not" replied Flack "Someone broke into our apartment while she was out. Trashed the whole place, sprayed threats on the walls and nicked all of her valuable jewellery."

"Ah sorry" said Lucas, taking a more serious tone "Do they know who did it?"

"We've got a pretty good idea who did it and why" said Flack "I mean they pretty much left a signed confession on the walls"

Flack and Jamie's three brothers went into the kitchen where Jamie was telling her mom what had happened. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like you know that"

"Thanks mom" sighed Jamie.

Jamie couldn't bring herself to eat much and ran herself a hot bath. Slipping into the soapy hot water she felt her body relax and she closed her eyes. Her mind was running around in vicious circles, she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened that day. He had escaped just two days ago on his way to Pennsylvania state prison, how on earth had he found where they lived in that tiny amount of time. It dawned on her that someone might well be helping him find them and punish Flack for what he had done in a split second when it could've gone either way, and that chilled her to the bone. But if he wasn't working with someone and he could find where they lived that quickly he would be able to find them anywhere at any time and that scared her. She struggled to understand his sheer hatred of flack, she just didn't understand why he felt so angry towards him. Yes he had shot his girlfriend but she had been trying to kill them, he had done what he thought right. She knew if she hadn't shot at them, almost killed Danny and shot him in the arm, he wouldn't have shot her. It had been heat of the moment, it wasn't premeditated, he hadn't gone there with the intentions of killing her and yet now they were both being punished for it. Eventually she climbed out of the bath and slipped into her pyjamas. Yawning she went into the spare room, where Flack was sitting at the end of the bed waiting for her. "You alright?" he asked as she sat down beside him "Y'know everyone's worried about you?"

"Yeah I'm fine" she replied "I'm just a little confused and in shocked about what happened"

He nodded, understanding. Everything they owned had been destroyed and they had forced them out of their own home.

Jamie was furious for what Hayden had done and swore if she saw him she would shoot him on the spot. After all he had destroyed most of her possessions and all of her hard work, he deserved it. And that fury only deepened when Jamie learnt what else he had done…

She had gone out to shop to get a few things, necessities really. Toothbrushes, seeing as Hayden had even destroyed those, toothpaste, he had squirted it everywhere along with all their shampoos, conditioners, body washes and aftershave. After collecting all the bits she needed she went to the checkout. She put her card in the machine but it started beeping. "Sorry there's nothing there. You card has been barred"

"What?!" Jamie looked at the young checkout girl "I checked my account two days ago, my balance is fine"

"I'm sorry but you can't pay with that" said the young checkout girl moving the items under the counter. Jamie snatched her card out of the machine and stormed out of the shop. She was furious. She went back to work, her temper worn thin by the stress of being broken into, having all her possessions destroyed and now learning she had no money. Her eyes were burning with rage and everyone could see it. When flack sat down next to her a few minutes he noticed instantly. "What's wrong?"

"I went to the store to get some stuff and my card was refused. It's been barred" she seethed "She said there was nothing there"

"How?" Flack fumbled in his pocket "Oh fuck, I forgot my wallet yesterday, I left it on the kitchen counter, my card was in there… and it wasn't there last night… little bastard!"

Both furious they rang the bank. _"Your whole account has been cleared out. It was transferred to another account… you better come in"_

So they went straight to the bank and sat down with someone. "There isn't a penny in your account. The whole thing has been wiped clean" he explained

"How?" asked Jamie, still absolutely fuming

"Online… about two o'clock this morning. Your account was hacked and someone wiped out all your savings, every single penny… I hate to have to tell you this but you're bankrupt." He continued.

"Can you get it back?" asked Flack, rage flying through his veins, Hayden had stolen his credit card and cleared out their savings, all of their money. They had nothing.

"Hopefully… however it may take a few weeks" he replied "But if the person who hijacked your account was caught you would be able to get the money back more easily"

"Thank you" Jamie said begrudgingly. It felt like they had nothing.

After a few weeks they had started totalling up the cost of replacing things, the price kept growing until they did finally reach a grand total, a total of over $2,000. This ate well into their savings, the money they had set aside to pay for the wedding. But now with the cost of replacing all these things that didn't seem possible. It was too much, because they were having to replace so much it ate too far into their savings, savings they didn't even have now. They soon realised they couldn't afford it, if they paid for a wedding, even the basics, a venue, some food and the dress it was too much, even if they did get all their money back. If they had the wedding they would be broke and they couldn't risk that now, not with twins on the way. They just couldn't have their wedding and it was horrible knowing they couldn't. Hayden had taken away their wedding because of his sick desire for revenge. So they started making calls to cancel everything, the venue, her dress, the food and all the other little bits. Then they told the guests. It made Jamie feel ashamed, ashamed because she had invited these people then told them it was because they couldn't afford it. And anyway they still didn't have their savings back, the bank was trying to get their money back but it was taking time, time they really didn't have. She was thirty weeks pregnant and they had nothing for the twins. And without a penny to their names they weren't getting anything any time soon. They were living off her parent's money and their minimal income. It was such a horrible feeling having to live off other people's money

Then one day Flack and Jamie went out to talk to a witness over a near-fatal stabbing which had taken place the night before. As they went back to the car Jamie spotted someone in the distance who looked familiar. Flack had already gotten back in the car by now but Jamie was still looking at the strangely familiar face. As he smirked at her, knowing he had her full attention it came to her, it was Hayden Jackson. The grinning face metres away was Hayden Jackson, the messed up teen who had weeks ago trashed their flat and wiped out all their savings. Jamie immediately saw red and didn't wait another second before giving chase. "STOP POLICE!" She ran after him as fast as she could and was catching up to him. She was going catch him now and put him away for good this time. Make sure he was punished for breaking into their flat, destroying every single thing they owned and for wiping out their savings, which had meant they'd had to cancel their wedding, prevented them from buying anything for their unborn twins and had forced them to live off other people. Flack meanwhile was waiting in the car, waiting for her to get in. "Come on Jamie!" he called out. But when she didn't answer or get back in the car he got worried; worried that she hadn't got back in the car. He seen her standing outside the car a few minutes before but now she seemed to have disappeared. So he got out of the car and as he did so he saw her disappearing round a corner. "JAMIE!" He yelled after her as he ran after her as fast as he could making sure he didn't lose sight of her. "JAMIE!" he yelled out again. He didn't know why she was running, who she was running after her but he certainly wasn't letting her do it on her own.

Jamie ran after him, following him into an abandoned workshop. As she ran after him something cold hit the back of her head and she felt to the ground, landing face first of the concrete and on her stomach. She pushed up off the ground and twisted over. As she did so he kicked her in the face provoking her into grabbing his leg and pulling him to the ground. "Serves you right!" she spat "YOU WRECKED OUR APARTMENT AND CLEARED OUT OUR SAVINGS!" She got up and kicked him in the face then ran towards the door as fast as her legs could muster. But he caught up with her and grabbed her and pulled her back. "No you don't" he snarled "You're not going anywhere"

"Don is outside" she cried as he strangled her "He will kill you if he sees this"

"No he won't because I will kill him first" he snarled pulling something out of his trousers while still clinging to her neck. "He will die if he steps in here" he showed her a gun. "He will die the way she died" Jamie stared at the gun, her heart beating at a million miles an hour, she was terrified. Then she realised something about the gun, it was very familiar, it was as if she'd seen it before. And she soon realised she had because the gun he was showing her, telling her he was going to kill Flack with was the very gun he had stolen from Flack the night of Layla Harrison's death. He still had it, he had hidden it as they and their colleagues had suspected. They believed after he had fled the scene after they had prised Layla from his arms he had run off and hidden the gun somewhere safe and somewhere only he could find so that if he were to escape or get let off he would be able to go back to it and use it. And now he was going to do so. Then without any warning he threw her down to the ground where he started kicking lumps out of her. "STOP!" She cried "I'm sorry… don't hurt me… PLEASE STOP!" She cried at him to stop but he ignored her pleas and carried on "Please! I'm pregnant!"

"Shut it you stupid bitch!" he snarled before stamping on her face. She lay on the ground watching him, barely able to move. As she lay there he moved his hand and pointed Flacks missing gun at her. He pushed down on the trigger… "NO!"

Outside Flack had lost sight of her, she had disappeared too fast. But from behind him he heard pleas, terrified pleas. They were more screams than simple begging but he recognised the voice, the accent and he burned with anger. They were Jamie's screams for someone to stop and that sent rage flying through his body. Somebody was hurting her and they weren't letting up, that made him absolutely furious. His instincts kicked in almost immediately. Flack ripped his gun from his belt and went into the workshop Jamie had gone into minutes before. He didn't say a word, wanting to surprise whoever it was.

Inside Hayden had Flacks missing gun pointed at Jamie while holding her down by her neck with his foot. He pushed down on the trigger… "NO!" She screamed.

"Yes!" he laughed. She twisted her head though still underneath his foot and saw Flack slipping into the room. He clicked the gun and laughed mercilessly at her as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes were so heavy now and she ached everywhere. He was going to fire that gun at both of them and there was nothing either of them could do to stop him. But as he went to fire Flack came racing in and launched himself at Hayden, cleanly knocking him off his feet and onto the cold, hard ground. A taste of his own medicine. "Oh no you don't!" Flack spat twisting Hayden over so he was facing him and pinning him to the ground. As he sat on top of Hayden, pinning him to the ground he looked over at Jamie; her eyes were closed and she was covered in blood. Flack didn't think and without another thought punched Hayden hard in the jaw making sure it hurt him like he had hurt her. "Serves you right you little bastard". Then he grabbed Hayden's wrist and slapped a cuff on it and cuffing the other side to a pipe meaning he was trapped. Then he radioed for back up and an ambulance. He then took Jamie in his arms "Come on Jamie open your eyes" but she lay in his arms completely still, her eyes firmly shut.

Soon he heard sirens blaring out and footsteps. "That is going straight to the cage" he spat in Hayden's direction.

Officers led the disgruntled Hayden away. As they did he struggled with them and spat at them all. Flack was so angry that he wanted to launch himself at Hayden and cave his head in. But he restrained himself for Jamie's sake if nothing else. Jamie was soon taken to hospital where she was treated and soon came round. "You ok?" asked Flack as her eyes flickered open.

She took a few minutes to properly come round but when she did she was dazed. "I think I'm ok" she replied. Her head was spinning round and thumping like anything. It was as if someone was stamping on her head. He neck was hurting too, after all Hayden had tried to strangle her then held her down by her neck with his foot. "Has he been caught?"

"Yes. They took him back to the precinct and locked him up" replied Flack.

Jamie sighed a sigh of relief then her hands went to her swollen stomach. "Are they ok?"

"I think so" Flack nodded, unsure because he hadn't been told either way by the doctor or nurses who had been treating her. She nodded and grabbed for his hand.

Just a week later in court Hayden was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay them $3,000 in expenses as well as their full life savings. But just a week later on his way up to Pennsylvania state prison he attacked several prisoners causing the van to pull over and the guards to open the doors. Then he attacked the guards, managing to retrieve the keys to his cuffs and escape. When Jamie and Flack heard they were furious and somewhat worried because they knew he wasn't done. They knew he wanted revenge, they knew he wanted them both dead and their lives destroyed before he did.


	6. Chapter 6: The Killings

Chapter 6: The Killings

Six weeks had passed since Hayden Jackson had broken into their apartment and completely wrecked the place, three weeks since Hayden had attacked Jamie, two weeks since Hayden's sentencing and one week since he had escaped for a second time. Jamie and flack had been putting things back together and replacing the broken furniture and had moved back in the week before, after spending five weeks at her parents' house. They'd had to replace everything in the living room, most things in their bedroom and most things in the nursery. It had been a hectic few weeks and finally things had settled down a bit. But they were on tenterhooks after hearing Hayden's warning to flack. Warning him that flack had taken his now Hayden was going to take his as payback. Jamie in particular was scared. In her eyes if he could break into their apartment and smash the place up then he could find them anywhere at any time. And they fact that he was once again on the loose on exacerbated that.

Then on the three month anniversary of Layla's death the body of a young girl was found in the same bedsit where flack had been forced to shoot Layla dead. Flack was the first officer on the scene and was the first to see the body and what Hayden had done to the bedsit. Flack felt sick, the girl's stomach had been ripped open and lying next to her was a dead baby. It had been stabbed to death. Stabbed in the heart. The word murderer was sprayed on all the walls. The same phrase over and over '_DETECTIVE FLACK IS A MURDERER!" _He was still trying to punish him and he wanted them to know he had killed her, ripped her baby out of her body and stabbed it to death. He wasn't hiding the fact he'd done it, he was proud of it. Flack went outside to wait for his CSI colleagues to arrive to carry out their forensic investigation. Soon he saw Mac and Hawkes heading in his direction and headed over to them. "What we got?" asked Hawkes

"Lilly Harris, 16" replied flack "And her baby"

"Who found the bodies?" asked Mac

"Whoa" exclaimed Danny walking in with his forensic kit in his hand, seeing the walls and the gruesome scene on the floor.

"Two boys, said they came down here to get high and found her" explained flack

"This is where Layla Harrison died" said mac kneeling down beside the body "Three bullet holes to the chest. Just like when you shot her" he pointed to her chest.

"Don't you think it's obvious Hayden Jackson did this? I mean he's practically left a signed confession on the walls!" said flack angrily, finding himself agreeing with mac. He remembered quite clearly how many bullet holes he had left in her body and where they had lodged themselves inside her. Same location, same injuries. Realistically only one person could've done this because flack knew the details of her injuries had never been released to the public or where she had died. Only Hayden and her mum, dad and brother. And he didn't really see three grieving family members committing a murder identical to their daughter's death.

"I can't say for sure until we get the results of the post-mortem and have analysed the evidence but I'd say there was a pretty good chance he did." Replied mac

"Yeah well I can't see her family doing and as far as I am aware they and Hayden are the only ones who knew of her injuries and where she was shot" said flack, it was almost like he wanted Hayden to have done it. "Why not? He killed those two officers when he escaped on his way to Pennsylvania state prison, trashed our apartment and left threatening messages all over the place."

"If Hayden did this we'll get the evidence to prove it then we'll get him and lock him away for good" said mac.

Flack watched, his mind running round in circles because he couldn't get those messages Hayden had etched onto the walls of their apartment or the message he had scribbled on the back of Layla's ultrasound, out of his head. He knew Hayden was going to go after Jamie at some point, but they didn't know when he would strike so there was little he could do to keep her safe. Their home phone and Jamie's mobile had been flagged if a 911 call came in from either of them. But there was little else they could do. All he could do was pray that Hayden would be caught before he had the chance to hurt her.

They collected as much evidence as they could while flack took statements from the two boys who had found the body. Eventually once the scene was processed and the body had been moved the lab they all left. Flack returned to his precinct where he learnt there had been a sighting of Hayden just two streets away from where Lilly Harris's body had been found. They had sent officers down there and had tried tracking him on CCTV but he seemed to just vanish, making flack boil with anger. "Every time we get close to the slippery little bastard he slips through our fingers" flack seethed to Danny

"I know it's frustrating but we'll get him" reassured Danny

"I hope we get him before he does something I'll really make him regret" hissed flack.

"How's Jamie?" asked Danny

"The whole thing's really spooked her. Him breaking in and trashing everything has really made her nervous and scared the living daylights out of her." Replied flack "The message he sent to us. You took mine I'll take yours. Then when he attacked her well that really scared the living daylights out of her. She knows what it means. And I swear down when I get my hands on him I'll kill him. If he hurts her he'll really regret it. That I'll make sure of"

Lilly Harris and her baby's bodies were taken to the morgue for forensic post-mortem by corner Sid. Once mac had come off the phone with flack about the sighting of Hayden Jackson he went down to the morgue for the post-mortem results. "C.O.D?" mac asked straightaway walking into the morgue.

"Three gunshots to the chest. She would've died very quickly" replied Sid "Lots of gunshot residue round the wounds, suggesting the gun was pressed against her chest and fired" he pointed to three bullet holes in Lilly Harris's chest. "I pulled three bullet fragments out of her chest" he handed a small tub containing the three bullet fragments to mac.

"If she was shot at close range, I mean if the gun was pressed right against her chest, wouldn't it have been a through and through?" questioned mac

"Maybe but if she was pressed down, say he had her pinned to the floor in may have prevented the bullet from exiting" suggested Sid

"Ok. What about this" asked Mac pointing the stitching on her stomach.

"This occurred post-mortem" explained Sid "As she died within minutes of being shot she was dead when he cut her open and ripped the baby out of her body. Then he stabbed the baby to death. Stabbed him right through the heart"

"Was the baby alive when the killer ripped him out?" asked mac

"Yes he was alive" nodded Sid "And he would've most likely lived if he hadn't been stabbed moments after being born"

"She was pregnant and shot three times in the exact same places as Layla Harrison" said mac "That is more than just a coincidence"

"I pulled up Layla Harrison's post-mortem files and she was also seven months pregnant at the time she was killed" explained Sid "Also I found this on her left arm" he lifted up Lilly's left arm "Writing in permanent marker"

"Detective flack is a murderer and he will pay" mac read aloud

"I think this does tell us who killed her" said Sid.

"Hayden Jackson. So she was seven months pregnant, shot three times in the chest and was the exact same age as Lilly Harris." Mac added the facts up "It looks like it was Hayden Jackson, he was the only one who knew of her pregnancy and where the bullets hit her body. When was time of death?"

"About six hours ago" replied Sid "Rigor had only just started to set in"

"Ok thanks Sid" Mac nodded before heading back up to the lab.

Lindsay was comparing the bullet fragments Sid had pulled from Lilly Harris's body and she soon had a match. "No way" she muttered "Danny come here"

"Yeah babe" said Danny walking over

"You know flack's gun was stolen by Hayden Jackson after the shootout between you and Layla Harrison. Well we had it didn't we, he was arrested with it. It should be in evidence but I checked with the clerk down there and it was booked out the other day."

"So who signed it out?" replied Danny. Danny combed through the CCTV from the evidence storeroom but when he did spot the man who had signed the gun out he was too well covered to identify so it was dead end. Another one.

Meanwhile Lindsay went to tell mac. "Mac I got a hit for the bullet fragments Sid pulled out of Lilly Harris's body. I don't think you're going to like this"

"Go on" said mac

They're a match to flacks missing gun" explained Lindsay

"Flacks missing gun?" frowned mac

"We checked with evidence, it was signed out a week ago. They believe it to be in the possession of Hayden Jackson." Replied Lindsay

"Ok, I really think Hayden did this. He links to the gun, he was the only one who saw Layla Harrison's gunshot wounds enough to be able to replicate them" said mac standing up out of his chair

"Yeah. It's looking more and more like Hayden did this" said Lindsay "And flacks on his way over now to discuss this"

As flack was leaving his precinct he was stopped by the front desk officer. "Hey flack someone just left this for you"

Flack walked over and took the envelope in his hands. He opened the envelope and took out the contents. There were three pictures inside; one was a picture of Lilly Harris with her boyfriend, one was a picture of Lilly Harris dead body and third was an image of an unborn baby. Lilly Harris's unborn baby. The baby Hayden Jackson had just murdered. He turned each of the pictures over. The first picture, the picture of Lilly and her boyfriend had the message _'Just like me and Layla before you took her life'. _The second picture, the picture of Lilly Harris's dead body had the words '_I played god and took her life and her baby's life like you took Layla's and took my baby away from me'. _The third had possibly the worst message on _'It's your fault. And two more will fall before I destroy you'. _Flack felt physically sick, two more will fall before I destroy you. Hayden wasn't finished, his sick plan was far from over. "Did you see who left his?"

"Not really, he was wearing a hoodie, his face was concealed" the desk officer shook his head "He didn't speak. Sorry"

"Well if you had been more vigilant you might've been able to bring Hayden Jackson into custody" snapped flack

"Sorry" the officer repeated before flack headed out of the precinct. He rushed over to the lab with the envelope in his hands. When he got there all of the CSI's on the case had gathered in the main conference room to discuss the evidence. "This was left at the front desk in my precinct" flack held the envelope

"Whose it from?" asked Danny

"Hayden" replied flack as Danny took the envelope in a gloved hand and removed the contents as flack had done minutes earlier and scanned them into the database then brought them up on the table. "He says two more will fall"

"He's going to kill two more people" said Lindsay

"Two more girls" said Jo "If he did Lilly Harris the way Layla Harrison died and he's planning to kill two more people it would have to fit that profile. Two more teenage girls"

"Lilly Harris was pregnant" added mac "So if he's going for two teenage girls then I'm guessing they will be pregnant and he will do what he did to Lilly to them. He will rip their babies from their stomachs and stab them to death."

"Adam get this envelope and those three pieces of evidence fingerprinted now. If Hayden's prints are on them then we got our guy" ordered mac

"Yes boss" Adam took the envelope and the three pictures to lift fingerprints.

"What was the result of the post-mortem?" asked flack

"She definitely died from the three gunshot wounds to her chest. And the gun was pressed right against her chest" explained mac "Sid suggested she could've been pinned down preventing a through and through. And she died about six hours before she was found."

"Identical gunshots wounds to Layla Harrison" said Danny

"More than just identical wounds. They were both seven months pregnant. And If Hayden hadn't stabbed him he would've lived." Replied mac "And he wrote on her left arm" mac tapped on the screen and picture of the writing on Lilly Harris's body was blown up so everyone could see it. "It's a direct hit at you flack"

"I can see that" flack half snapped

"So they died in the same place, had the same wounds and were both seven months pregnant" said flack "He's killed her and shot her in the same places. He wants me to know he did it by using Layla's death and recreating it"

"And he used your gun to do it" added Lindsay

"So what's his end game?" asked Danny

"I am" said flack "Two more will fall then he will destroy me. It reminds me of when Shane Casey stalked you. You were his end game. I'm his"

When flack left he felt very uneasy. The words _then I'll destroy you_ screamed in his head and didn't stop. If he was going to destroy him flack knew he would try to rip everything away from him then finally end it by killing him. He headed home to their apartment. When he arrived the smell of Jamie's cooking slid up his nostrils and enticed him. When he went inside they didn't really talk. She soon plated the food and they sat down to eat. "I heard about Lilly Harris. Was it definitely Hayden who did it?"

"Yes. All the evidence links to him. His prints were at the scene and he used my gun, the one he stole to shoot her." Replied flack "And he sent me a picture of their bodies, a picture of her with her boyfriend and a picture of her unborn baby"

"What?" frowned Jamie "She was pregnant?"

"Yeah. Seven months, just like Layla Harrison. He ripped it out of her stomach and stabbed it to death" nodded flack "He did it to get my attention. He's not done either. He said two more will fall"

"So he's definitely targeting you for her death?" asked Jamie

"Looks like it. He sees it that I took his chance to be a father away so he doesn't see that I deserve mine" explained flack

They curled up together on the sofa and watched TV together. It was nice for them just to be together and alone. Flacks mind was on something else, he just wanted Hayden caught and locked away where he wouldn't be able to hurt Jamie. The thought of losing her killed him inside. He had lost Jessica and he couldn't bear to lose Jamie too. "What happens if you don't get him?"

"We will" flack insisted

"We both know there's every chance you won't" she sighed, her voice cracking slightly.

"We're going to get him and shove his ass he jail for a long time" said flack "If we don't…"

"I die" she cut over him before tears splashed down her cheeks. And the terrible part was they both knew it was true. He pulled her closer and held her close in his arms. Things were slipping away so fast. Hayden knew what he was doing, he knew was scaring Jamie. He was playing on her fragile emotions. He knew if he pulled them enough she would break down and run away and if that didn't happen, if flack protected her like he was determined to then he would kill her.

Two days after the murder of Lilly Harris, Hayden was still on the loose. And he was still a threat. It was on this day that another body turned up at the bedsit where Layla Harrison had been shot dead by flack. The body of a sixteen year old girl, Harriet mason, 16. Just like before she had sustained identical injuries to Layla Harrison, three gunshots to the chest. She was just like Layla and Lilly seven months pregnant. Her baby too had been ripped from her stomach and stabbed to death. There was even the same message on her left arm. Then an envelope arrived at flack's precinct for him which contained three pictures. One of Harriet mason with her boyfriend, one of her dead body and one of her unborn baby. And he had used the gun he had stolen from flack to kill her. But yet again Hayden was nowhere to be found which left some of the officers, especially flack, very annoyed and scratching their heads. He just seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. They were running round in circles after him and it was a nightmare.

Then a week later when flack left for work he went down to his car to find all the windows smashed in, it was covered in dents, scratches and the word murderer sprayed all over it. "What the hell!" seethed flack.

CCTV footage showed Hayden laughing at the camera before running off and seemingly just disappearing into thin air once again. Flack was incredibly pissed that Hayden had destroyed his car and was ready to strangle the son of a bitch. "I'll drop off at the precinct" said Jamie "I'm heading that way anyway"

"Thanks" sighed flack.

They talked as she drove and things seemed to be fine until she tried to break. The light went to amber and Jamie reached for the breaks and pressed down with her foot but the car didn't stop, it didn't even slow down. "You need stop its red!" said flack

"I can't!" she replied, panicking

"Press your foot down!" he insisted

"I am but nothing's happening!" she cried. She tried pushing all sorts of buttons but nothing slowed the car. "Nothing's working!" The both looked in front of them, there was another car just a few feet in front of them and they were going to slam right into the back of it. In seconds the front of Jamie's car slammed head on into the car in front. It all seemed to happen so fast then it was over. "Are you ok?" asked flack turning his head to look at her "Jamie!" she was slouched over the wheel, her eyes were closed and her head was bleeding. Flack jumped out of the car and pulled out his mobile. The drivers or the cars behind and the driver of the car in front jumped out of their cars and rushed over to their car. The driver of the car in front had a cut on his face and an expression of thunder. "YOU CRASHED INTO MY CAR DELIBRATELY!" he yelled knocking flacks phone out of his hand and stamping on it.

"NO SHE DIDN'T!" Shouted flack "THE BREAKS WERENT WORKING!"

"LIAR!" Spat the other driver before punching flack in the face. Flack immediately retaliated by punching the other driver in the face. The driver retaliated back. They soon got into a fully-fledged fight. The other drivers broke them up and one said to flack "Leave him he's not worth it. She needs you now"

"I've called an ambulance" said another woman.

"Thanks" replied flack.

Minutes later the paramedics arrived and took Jamie to hospital. Flack went with her, praying to god she was going to be OK. In the ambulance she started to come round. When she did she reached her hand out and he held it tightly. At the hospital the doctors told her the head wound wasn't serious and gave them further relief when he told them the babies were fine. Jamie was discharged and flack was given the day off.

Later that day flack received a call from the car insurance company. _"'I'm sorry sir but both your cars have to be written off" said the man_

"_What you're kidding!" replied flack_

"_No I'm not I'm afraid" he sighed. _Flack slammed the phone down and sunk down onto the sofa. "They've both been written off"

"Oh" Jamie sighed as a pain shot through her head. "Why did he have to do it? I thought we were going to die" tears rolled down her cheeks as flack pulled her into a tight hug.

"Because he sick" replied flack "But when I get my hands on him I'm going wrap my hands round his neck and strangle him to death."

"Don't" she sobbed. But the fact that he had made flack so angry that he really showed he wanted rid of Hayden did kind of show her he really hated the whole thing and how upset and angry it made him. It really showed her his feelings on the situation. And that in her eyes was a good thing.

* * *

Note: I have edited chapters 2,3 and 4. when I started writing I didn't really have a plan but as I started writing I started looking at it and changed my mind about a few things and my plan kind of changed and expanded so I rewrote them a bit to fit my new plan. hope you like the changes please R&R!


	7. Chapter 7: A twist in the facts

Chapter 7: A twist in the facts

At the lab Danny and Lindsay were analysing the bits of Jamie's car that had been brought in, specifically the breaks. Danny had lifted prints and was running them through the system. "Got a match!"

"Hayden Jackson" said Lindsay

"No Leon Johnson" replied Danny "Hayden's half-brother. He's Lisa Jackson's son from a previous relationship. He was arrested for possession but never charged. And we got a work address for him."

"Leon did Hayden's betting?" frowned Lindsay "Why would he? What's he got against Jamie?"

"I don't know but he nearly killed her" said Danny.

"Well Hayden did vandalise Flack's car" said Adam walking into the room holding a piece of paper in his hand. He had been identifying prints taken from Flacks car to confirm Hayden had definitely done it. "His prints were all over it"

Danny called flack, knowing he'd want to hear about the lead they'd got. "Flack we know who tampered with Jamie's breaks. His name is Leon Johnson- Hayden's half-brother"

"_He's got a half-brother?" replied flack "Why did this never come up before?"_

"I dunno but we're gonna go pick him and have a word" said Danny.

"_Pick me up. I want to be in on this interview" said flack. "I want to know why he tampered with the breaks on Jamie's car"_

"Ok" Danny then ended the call and grabbed his car keys. He picked flack up then they picked Leon up. "Leon Johnson" flack showed him his badge

Leon didn't even run he just stood there. He let flack and Danny arrest him and take him to the precinct. "Right Leon why did you mess with the breaks of Detective Lovato's car?"

"I didn't I mess with anyone's breaks" replied Leon

"Yes you did. You tampered with the breaks on Detective Lovato's car" said Danny "It crashed on the junction between Third and Fifth Street"

"I didn't touch any breaks" snapped Leon "When did I supposedly tamper with them?"

"About six this morning" replied Danny

"I was at work at half-five this morning" replied Leon "Check with my boss"

"Why'd you do it?" asked Flack. Rage was surging through him, he could barely contain it. Someone had sabotaged Jamie's breaks causing her car to crash while she was at the wheel. She could've been killed along with their unborn twins. And that made him so angry that he just wanted to kill that person.

"I didn't!" shouted Leon "I wanted to do Detective Flacks breaks. After all he murdered my girlfriend"

"No I shot Layla Harrison" frowned Flack. What the hell was Leon talking about, Layla was one of the only girls he'd ever shot in the line of duty. In fact she was the only girl he'd ever shot.

"She was leaving him for me. Rose is my baby. She told me so" said Leon, folding his arms.

"And when was this?" asked Danny

"I was with her when she found out" replied Leon

"Ok but that doesn't explain why Hayden believed it to have been his baby" said Flack

"At first she wasn't sure" explained Leon "But after her scan she knew it was mine. The dates matched. She told Hayden because she was ignoring him and he wanted to know why. So she told him she was pregnant. He didn't go to her scan but she showed him the ultrasound."

"Why didn't she just tell him the truth?" asked Flack, surely that would've been an easier option than creating a massive mess.

"He was really possessive with her" replied Leon "I lived with mom, I took dad's name because he died when I was little so I wanted to keep him alive. Then she went to prison when I was seventeen and he was a fifteen. But they weren't hers, she covered for Hayden. She went to prison instead of him. Anyway he met Layla about that time, she moved to his school into his class. They started going out straightaway and I think at first they did love each other. But things changed" Flack and Danny looked at each other then back at Leon.

"Changed how?" asked Danny

"She got a little edgy because her parents were arguing a lot and were on the edge of getting a divorce. In the end they made up. But Hayden got really frustrated with her and kept calling her and texting her. And she didn't like it. He tried to control her. She didn't know what to do. Then one night they had a massive argument and he hit her then threw her down to the floor. Then he stormed out to get drunk. I heard the whole thing and I went in and found her sobbing on the floor." Leon explained

"When was this?" questioned Danny

"About a year before she died" replied Leon "I took her to my room and we talked. She really opened up to me. She didn't hold back. She told me she'd had enough of Hayden and didn't like the way he controlled her. Nothing happened then. But we started talking more and we exchanged numbers. Then after Hayden hit her again and stormed off to get high I took her to my room and we talked for a bit. Then we kissed and eventually we slept together. We started meeting up more often. I decided to move out so we met up even more and she didn't see much of Hayden. I fell in love with her. I told her I loved her and she told me she loved me. Said I was kind to her, made her feel safe. That I protected her. She was always staying over. Then she found she was pregnant. She wanted it to be mine, I wanted it to be mine. She had tried ending things with him but he wouldn't let her go. He was so possessive with her. She had been planning to move in with me but he just wouldn't let her out of his sight in the weeks before she died. So we both decided a fresh start was what we needed. Away from New York. I hated my stepdad because he had been telling her to get an abortion then to get Rose adopted. So we decided she was going to leave him and we were going to run away together, we were going to go and stay with my uncle in Las Vegas for a while. She was going to have the baby then when we had enough money we were going to get a place together. I proposed to her the day before my stepdad died and she said yes. We were going to get married. We had everything planned."

"But it went so horribly wrong" said Danny

"Yeah" sighed Leon "my stepdad told her to come round and he started going on at her."

"About having Rose adopted?" asked Flack. A lot of things they'd previously thought to be true about Layla and her situation seemed to be totally wrong.

"That and he knew Rose is my daughter. Somehow he'd found we'd been seeing each other and sleeping together behind Hayden's back." Explained Leon "He was threatening her, saying he was going to kill her for cheating on his prized son. That he was going to tell Hayden. He tried to blackmail her. He attacked her. She was in such a state when she came round to my place"

"She came to yours after the murder?" asked Danny

"Yeah. She was in one hell of a state. She was bleeding. He'd slit her cheek with a knife and he had beaten her up. She had been terrified and shot him in self-defence. But Hayden he got rid of the knife Joe had slit her with and cleaned his dads nails to get rid of the evidence. He told me so.

"He admitted that you?" asked Flack "Why didn't you come forward at the time?" because if he had things might have had a completely different outcome, because if this was true Layla would've made a case of self-defence and the judge would most likely have ruled extenuating circumstances.

"I don't know. I wish I had. She might still be alive if I had" said Leon "She was so scared. It took me three hours to calm her down. She regretted what she had done. She told me what had happened, how he'd told her he knew Rose is mine, how she'd been cheating on Hayden with me, how he threatened to tell Hayden, knowing what he'd do to her. Then he told her to have Rose adopted and he wouldn't tell Hayden. He tried to blackmail her but she refused. Then he threatened to kill her. He tried strangling her, he beat her up and slit her cheek open. Then he pulled a gun on her but she managed to run away from his grip and pulled her gun. As he fired she shot him."

"If she'd told us we could've helped her" said Flack. "Did she really have the gun for protection against Joe?"

"No of course not!" Leon shook his head "It was for protection against Hayden."

"She told us he tried to rape her" said Danny

"Hayden tried to rape her not him. She told you that because she was terrified of what Hayden would do to her if she told you the truth" said Leon

"I will admit she was calming down then Hayden arrived and she just got worse again" admitted flack.

"Yeah because she was terrified of him" said Leon "He told her if she was arrested what she should say. She told her exactly what to say to you and said if she didn't she would kill him. I know because she came round afterwards with strangulation marks on her neck and in hysterical tears. She complied knowing he would kill her if she didn't. He manipulated her to do say and do what he wanted. She shot you because she thought you were going to lock her away for life and take Rose away from her. Because he told her that would happen. She was so scared! That's why I hate him, because he treated her like a piece of meat. He controlled her so much and she was terrified of him."

"If you hated him why did you tamper with breaks of my girlfriend's car!" asked flack

"I didn't! I wanted to I really did. I loved her and you shot her. I know she shot you both but I miss her so much. And because of it Rose doesn't have a mom" Leon admitted remorsefully "But I knew I couldn't. I am just about to start proceedings to get custody of Rose why the hell would I sabotage that?"

"The same reason he does" flack hissed "She is pregnant!" Leon's eyes widened

"What. I didn't know" gulped Leon "I really didn't… is she ok?"

"She's fine no thanks to you" replied Flack

"I didn't touch the breaks of her car I swear." Leon pleaded "I was at Layla's parent's house last night. With Rose. Then I went to work at five. Look I may want to get you back for killing Layla but I'm not like my brother I'm not stupid. I wouldn't never act on any of my vengeful thoughts. Rose has already lost her mother. She can't lose her dad too. I love her. I see as much of her as I can. I wouldn't sabotage my chances of raising my own daughter. She is everything to me"

"Fine. Do you know where Hayden is?" asked Flack

"No. I don't give a shit where he is… actually he came to Layla's parents late last night. Begging them to let him see Rose but they refused." Said Leon "I don't know where he went after that."

"Well they do know what he has been up to. I mean the three girls he murdered were all over the media. I'm certain that would make them weary to let him in their house" said Flack "I think we'll end it here"

Flack and Danny left the room. "I wasn't bloody expecting that" said Flack leaning against the wall.

"Neither was I" agreed Danny folding his arms

"Why didn't she tell us? The judge would've ruled self-defence" questioned Flack

"Maybe as Leon said Hayden convinced her otherwise. Scared her into thinking she would go away for life and that she would lose Rose forever" suggested Danny

"Sounds like him. In a way she a motive but by maybe she really did do it self-defence. We should get DNA done on that baby" replied Flack

"Definitely" Danny nodded before heading their separate ways. Leon was charged with intent to endanger life and Danny collected Leon's and Rose's DNA for comparison.

Danny learned that Leon had been telling the truth because he was definitely Rose's biological father, so that been true about them being together. Flack checked up on Leon's alibis; they were watertight. He had been with Rose that night then in work at half-five. There was no way he could've done it. So had Hayden framed him? But why? Had he found out or was he just angry with Leon. Just three days after this the judge ruled there was no case as the evidence was so conflicting. Leon was released without charge and went onto start proceedings to get custody of baby Rose. He was also told if Hayden got in touch with him or turned up at his house or Layla's parent's house to call the police straightaway.

Two weeks after the body of Lilly Harris had been found the body of Danielle Kline, 16 was found in the bedsit were the two other girls had been murdered. It matched the two previous murders down to a T. she was seven months pregnant. She had identical wounds to Lilly Harris, Harriet mason and Layla Harrison. Her baby too had been ripped from her stomach and stabbed to death and the same gun had been used to kill her. The same message had been left on her arm. And flack received the envelope containing a picture of Danielle Kline and her boyfriend, a picture of her dead body and a picture of her unborn baby.

And even now, after two weeks they still couldn't find Hayden Jackson….


	8. Chapter 8: Letters from the devil

Chapter 8: Letters from hell

A week after Danielle Kline's body had been found flack started receiving threatening letters through his letterbox. The first was a Death threat towards him. Flack had woken up then gone down to collect the mail from the mailbox. He took their mail out and flicked through it as he headed back up to their apartment on the 34th floor. He found one that wasn't consistent with the others, instead of being addressed to Mr Donald Flack or Miss Jamie Lovato or to both of them it was addressed to Detective flack. None of the mail he received was ever addressed that way. Curious, he peeled it open as he stepped out of the elevator on their floor and his eyes widened with horror at what was scrawled on the page:

_Detective flack_

_Enjoy the good days while they last_

_Because I'm going to rip your whole life_

_TO PIECES._

_I'M GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING GOOD AWAY_

_THEN I'M GOING TO TAKE YOUR LIFE THE WAY _

_YOU TOOK LAYLAS._

"Don what is it?" asked Jamie seeing flacks face contort with horror.

"It's a death threat from Hayden Jackson" flack replied simply handing it to her. He knew it was from Hayden because he had made the point he was going take his life the way he had taken Layla's; by shooting him.

"The kid who beat me up then shot those three girls and murdered their babies? The kid whose hell bent on making you pay?" said Jamie before reading the letter. "What does he want?"

"I don't know but whatever he's going to do it isn't good" said flack.

Flack took the letter to the lab in hope they would confirm Hayden had written it, which they were able to. His prints were all over it.

The next morning another letter arrived. It was a death threat towards Jamie. A threat of how he was going to hurt her. It was disgusting and vile and frankly stomach churning.

_Detective flack_

_Better hide that pretty lil thing of yours_

_Cause I'm gonna hurt her_

_I'm gonna tie her down and rape her_

_Then I'm gonna stick three bullets in her chest_

_And you're gonna watch so you understand _

_What you did_

Flack turned his head to look at Jamie who was making herself some breakfast in the kitchen, he was going to use her to punish him. It made him feel so guilty, the guilt crippled him and made him so angry. He had done what he'd done because it was the only thing he could've done in that situation, there had been no talking her down. He'd had no other choice than to shoot her in self-defence. Yes he did feel slightly guilty for taking that baby's mom away that was the only part he did feel guilty about. Well until recently. Since talking to Leon Johnson and learning the situation hadn't been as clear cut as they had first thought. He was starting to think she may have been genuinely scared. That she had killed joseph Jackson in self-defence and shot them because she was so terrified. But the thought of someone hurting Jamie because him really made him feel guilty because he really loved her, she was everything to him and the thought of losing her hurt, it angered him.

"Don was is it?" Jamie's soft voice sliced through his thoughts.

"Nothing" he shook his head, he didn't want to show this to her. It was horrifying, he knew it would upset her.

"Don't lie to me" she cut through his words "What is it" she walked over to him and took the letter out of his hand and read it. As she did tears formed in hers and she clamped her hand over mouth. She dropped the letter on the floor and looked up at him as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "He sent this didn't he?"

"Yes" replied flack. Jamie stood there for a moment in silence before bursting into tears. Flack pulled her into his arms and held tightly. "It's gonna be ok. I'm not going to let him hurt you" he kissed the top of her head as she sobbed into his chest.

"He's going to kill me Don" she sobbed "I know it, you know it. He's going to do what he wants and he doesn't care"

He didn't know what to say. He knew somewhere deep down she was right. It was an awful moment of realisation. They didn't know where he was so there was no locking him up before he could hurt someone. They didn't know when he was going to strike so there was no getting away at that time. They were two steps behind and it was frustrating.

Over the next five days more letters arrived, each one becoming more graphic. These disgusting, vile letters contained graphic descriptions of what he intended to do them, detailing how he wanted to slice Jamie up, rip the twins out of her body and stab them to death. How he wanted to send flack their dead bodies to him in a cardboard box. How he was going to chuck Jamie's body in the river and let the fishes eat her flesh but not before he skinned her, dead or alive, he wouldn't care.

He then made threats towards another person within flack's life, his sister Samantha.

_Detective flack_

_Better make sure your sisters ok_

_Because I'm going pin her down and rape HER_

_Then I'm gonna slit her throat open and _

_Drink her blood._

_Your own flesh and blood_

_Then you'll know how I feel!_

Flack didn't know how Hayden knew he had a sister and it chilled him to the bone to think how he had found out. They weren't closest siblings in the world and he only had one picture of them up in their apartment. But then again he was stalking them, he had probably made it his priority to know things like that. So he dropped round to see Samantha on his way to work to make sure she was ok. "Sam are you ok?" he asked going inside

"Yes of course I am" she smiled rolling her eyes "Why what's wrong?"

"If anyone suspicious comes round or tries to attack you, you call me ok" he replied

"Don what's going on?" she demanded. Reluctantly he handed her the letter. "What's this?"

"Read it" he looked down. So she did. She read it then looked up at him before shoving the letter into his chest. "You know sometimes I hate you. I've been dragged into this mess now as well!"

"I'm sorry ok!" he said feeling slightly angry with her. "I never meant for this to happen!"

"Go. Just get out!" she snapped pushing him out the door

"Sam please!" he pleaded with her as she shoved her out "I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get dragged into this. I don't know how he found out about you!"

"GO!" She yelled. Flack took the hint and left without another word. He spent the whole day worrying, agonising over what Hayden intended to Jamie and to Samantha. The thoughts made him feel incredibly sick.

Every letter and envelope was examined forensically examined by Adam, dusted for prints and DNA trace. All the envelopes had the same unidentified fingerprints on them. Just the envelopes never the letters inside. Which led them to the conclusion that Hayden was writing the letters and was getting someone else to post them. But who was perhaps the biggest mystery. Flack had a theory though. He guessed there may be another person who would help Hayden, Layla's brother, Taylor Harrison. After all he had supplied Layla with two different guns and obviously knew how to use one. The guns that had ended the life of joseph Jackson and led to her being shot down by flack. But he couldn't prove this.

A few days later another threatening letter arrived, which specifically detailed how Hayden intended to hurt Jamie and Sam. When Jamie read it she broke down in tears. They had really struggled over how to talk about the letters and it was really making things rocky and pushing them both to breaking point. They just didn't know what to say to each other anymore and the effect was their whole relationship was falling apart.

A few days after the latest threatening letter had arrived a new lead arose in the case. A letter which had specifically detailed how he was going to rape, beat and kill both Jamie and Samantha. Which had made flack feel physically sick. An arrest which meant they could finally put a face to the unidentified fingerprints. A young man had been caught punching a guy in the face and had been quickly arrested by cops who had been patrolling the area. When he was brought in the precinct flack instantly recognised him as Taylor Harrison, Layla Harrison's older brother. "Taylor Harrison? I don't think your parents will be pleased will they? They've already lost their daughter and now their son may be off to jail" said flack as he was led into his cells. Taylor smirked at him. Up in the lab Adam had matched the fingerprints to some which had only just been put on the system. He rung flack minutes later with a match to the fingerprints; they belonged to Taylor Harrison. "Flack I know who's been leaving those letters in your letterbox" said Adam

"Oh yeah. How come nothings shown up before?" replied flack

"Because the person whose prints match those on the envelopes only just arrived on the system. Literally within the last twenty minutes" explained Adam.

Flack looked towards the cells. Taylor Harrison. "Taylor Harrison?"

"Yeah. How did you know?" replied Adam.

"Because I saw him being led to the cells" said flack "He looked me in eye and smirked at me. Well thanks. I'm going to go have a little talk with him." The he hung up on Adam and went to the custody area. "Can I have Taylor Harrison for interview" said flack.

"Sure" replied the custody officer. He moved Taylor to the interrogation room where flack was waiting. "Hey Taylor" he said walking over to the table "I have to tell you getting yourself arrested has got you in more trouble than you excepted"

"What d'you mean?" asked Taylor fiddling with his hands.

"When you were brought in you were printed. Those prints go on our system." Replied flack "Our lab techs matched them to prints found on ten separate letters"

"I don't know nothing bout no letters" said Taylor

"So how come your prints were found all over the envelopes next to Hayden Jacksons?" asked flack

"Maybe someone planted them" smirked Taylor

"No one planted them. You touched them because you're working with him" said flack.

"I don't know nothing" sneered Taylor, yet still smirking.

"Ok Taylor. Where's Hayden Jackson" asked flack

"I don't know" shrugged Taylor

"Yes you do" replied flack "You've been leaving letters from him in my mailbox. Your fingerprints were found all over the envelopes. He wrote them and you delivered them"

"Yeah well you killed my sister!" Taylor spat "She did nothing wrong and you murdered her"

"I shot her in self-defence" defended flack "She shot two cops and killed a man!"

"YOURE A MURDERER!" Yelled Taylor.

"Where is he?" Demanded flack, not in the mood for this snarky teenager's bitter and twisted attitude.

"Why would I tell the man who murdered my sister where her boyfriend is hiding?" sneered Taylor.

"WHERE IS HE?" Flack slammed his down on the table.

"If you think I'm going tell you then you can go and get fucked" snarled Taylor "YOU FUCKING MURDERER!"

"Fine if that's how you want to play it" flack calmed slightly. He went to leave but…

"I do know something" Taylor said quietly. Flack closed the door and turned round so he was facing Taylor. "Go on"

"He is writing the letters" Taylor began "And I have been posting them. But I don't know what's in them"

"So?" flack shrugged, it least it was a confession, least he knew he was responsible for leaving the letters and for writing them.

"I know he wants to make you pay. But swear down I don't know what he's planning… not completely" Taylor continued "I know you killed her and I want to hit you for it, I really fucking do. But I understand, well sort of, why you did it. I know it wasn't in cold blood. She did kill cold blood and she did try to kill two more people in cold blood. But he doesn't. He thinks you're a coldblooded killer and he wants you to pay for taking away her and their baby. He hates that you'll get to live happily ever after with your girlfriend and your baby when she won't because you took everything away from her and from him. All I know is that you need to keep Jamie safe."

"Do you know what he's going to do to her?" asked flack.

"No. all I know is he's going to kill her and he wants to make you watch." Replied Taylor

"Tell me where he is" said flack

"I don't know where he is" replied Taylor "I really don't. He gave me an address to pick the letters up from but I never see him. I don't know where is."

Flack went to leave again but Taylor spoke again "And you need to protect Rose and Leon"

"Rose and Leon?" asked Flack "Why?"

"I think he might try to hurt Leon and run away with Rose" replied Taylor.

"Ok" flack bit his lip before he left the room and Taylor was taken away and bailed with a caution. Flack spoke to his boss then to mac. "He doesn't know where Hayden is and I think he's telling the truth"

"So we know for sure he's writing them and Taylors sending them but we still have no idea where he is" said mac "Every time we get a lead we hit another dead end"

"Yeah and he thinks Hayden might go after Leon Johnson and Rose" explained Flack "He thinks he might try to hurt Leon and run off with Rose"

"He doesn't know that Rose isn't his?" asked Mac

"No. I think Leon just got custody of her as well" replied Flack "I'll talk to my boss see what he can do"

"Ok" agreed mac before flack left to go back to his precinct where he spoke his boss and they sorted a phone line alert for Leon.

After this the hate mail stopped but things were rocky between flack and Jamie. Jamie, who was very emotional at the moment, was so scared because someone was out to kill her and her unborn babies and because of this she was pushing flack away. And the more she did this the more he tried to get close. He called her a few times a day and texted a lot, after Taylor had warned him to keep her safe. But all this did was push her away and push their relationship further towards breaking point. He did try to understand but he felt like he was losing her. "I feel like I'm losing her" he sighed to Danny as they headed out to question a witness

"You got to give her space" replied Danny "She's going through a lot at the moment"

"I suppose" said flack, his mind now somewhere else completely.

Jaime was at home resting on the sofa when her phone started ringing. She picked and saw the caller ID, Don Flack. Sighing she ignored the call and placed her phone back on the sofa. She loved flack she really did but she couldn't deal with all the phone calls and text messages. It was constant and it made her feel so suffocated. She didn't know how to tell him how it made her feel because at the moment everything was so rocky and delicate. All the letters and threats had made their lives ten times harder because they were constantly watching their shadows, making sure a killer wasn't lurking in them.

One night they were in bed together and he tried to get close to her. He went to kiss her but she pushed him away "No please flack. I don't want to. I can't carry on like this. Like nothing's happening. We can't pretend nothing is happening"

"I'm not" flack shook his head "I just wanted to comfort you"

"I know but I don't want it. I just need to think" she replied "I need space. I feel suffocated by you. I feel like you're trying to bubble wrap me and I don't like it."

"I'm trying to protect you" said flack, feeling slightly hurt

"I know but I feel you don't think I can take care of myself" said Jamie

"I do but he wants to hurt you and I can't bear the thought of him hurting you. All I want to do is keep you safe" replied flack

"I know" she looked down "I just feel so suffocated. You call me all the time and text me every five minutes. I can't cope with it"

"WHAT SO I JUST PISS OFF TO WORK AND FORGET ABOUT YOU. NOT WORRY ABOUT YOU?" snapped flack raising from the bed. He just snapped, the whole thing had pushed him to breaking point. He was a cop, he was good with dealing with serious problems under pressure and he was good at it. But this was different. This was his personal life and it too was being attacked and ruined, he just couldn't take that. Not anymore. He had been trying to so hard to hold things together but they were just falling apart, slipping away too quickly. Everything they'd once had, had slipped away because of one mistake. A mistake that a turned the world upside down and wrecked it. The good days had vanished and now it was like they were living in fear of having their lives ended every single day. "THE YOU'D COMPLAIN I DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT"

"No I wouldn't!" she shouted standing up off the bed too. He heart was feeling the strain, her whole body was. The strain of being stalked and attacked for a mistake. The strain that was on their relationship was absolutely massive, because neither had really been in this position before they didn't know how to cope with it and they just pushed each other away. Well she was doing far more pushing than he was. She knew he cared, she knew he loved her but it was too much. She was just so confused and frustrated at the whole thing that she didn't know how to react to him or to anything really.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO AND I WILL DO IT!" he shook his head angrily.

"I don't know what I want!" she replied

"FANTASTIC!" sneered flack "I FEEL LIKE PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER 1!"

"THIS WHOLE THING HAS TAKEN OVER OUR WHOLE LIVES. HOW THE HELL ARE WE MEANT TO CARRY ON AS NORMAL WHEN WE'RE RECEIVING DEATH THREATS THROUGH OUR MAILBOX AND SEEING PEOPLE MURDERED AS AN ACT OF REVENGE TOWARDS YOU!" she shouted

"OH SO IT'S MY FAULT SHE KILLED HER DAD, IT'S MY FAULT SHE SHOT DANNY, THEN SHOT ME KNOWING I WOULD SHOOT HER?" flack fumed "IT'S MY FAULT HE STARTED A FUCKING HATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ME BECAUSE I SHOT HER IN SELF-DEFENCE!"

"I DON'T MEAN THAT!" said Jamie

"WELL WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEN?" hissed flack

"I DON'T KNOW!" Jamie cried "IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART. WE'RE PUSHING EACH OTHER AWAY BECAUSE OF THIS AND I FEEL LIKE WE HARDLY CONNECT ANYMORE"

"YOU'RE PUSHING ME AWAY DON'T YOU MEAN? I WANT TO BE CLOSE BUT YOU PUSH ME AWAY!" shouted flack.

"I know" she looked down at the floor. He took a deep breath then left the room. He went into the living room then out onto the balcony.

Jamie stood for a moment, thinking about all the good times they'd shared, all the laughs they'd shared together. There were so many. But it all seemed to be fading now and slipping away. She realised she couldn't let everything slip away, she loved him and she wanted them to work. This was not worth throwing away because of a few stupid threats, true they were deeply psychotic but they couldn't throw everything away because of them. So slowly she walked out into the living room and onto the balcony where flack was.

Out on the balcony flack was having pretty much the same epiphany. He didn't want to lose her, not now. They had shared so many memories and one stupid boy, with a ridiculous desire for revenge could not ruin that. They couldn't let him; that would be like admitting defeat. They could get through this and somehow they would. He felt her soft hand touch his back and he turned around. "I'm sorry" she whispered

"Me too" he nodded.

"I'm struggling with this at the moment. I go over it all the time in my head. Every time we get another letter I get a little bit more scared about what he's going to do to me" she admitted "I don't know when he's going to strike and there's nothing I can do to stop him"

"I know" he whispered taking her in his arms and holding her tightly. "We'll get through this"

The next day they sat down together and talked, talked about everything that needed talking about. Everything they both needed to say to the other was said and the air was cleared. Finally they were able to start understanding each other more and that did help. It helped a lot because they stopped pushing each other away and started being a bit closer again. They started talking more and that made things so much easier.


	9. Chapter 9: The stupidity of a killer

Chapter 9: The stupidity of a killer

With just two weeks to go Jamie was knackered. Though she did have more on her plate than many other new mom's-to-be. That thing she did have was a raving lunatic after her fiancée and intent on killing her. Nonetheless she and flack were looking forward to becoming a proper family. They had managed to talk things through properly and were more understanding of the others feelings on the situation. But it was still tough for her, not knowing when flack went to work if he would come back. Or for him if he got home and she was gone or dead on the floor.

It was early Tuesday morning and they were both awake and having breakfast. Flack was off to work and hoped today would be like any other day. He kissed her goodbye and left her smiling on the sofa, believing she would still be there when got home…

Jamie was unpacking some stuff her cousin had sent her for the twins and putting them into the wardrobe. When she was done she closed the wardrobe and turned around to look at the finished nursery. It looked perfect. She and flack had, had to repaint it and replace everything but now it looked better than ever and she looked forward to finally using it. She went into the kitchen and put her dinner on, after all it was nearly six. Flack was pulling a double so he wouldn't be home to the next morning so she was just cooking for herself. Once it was going she picked up the boxes she had unpacked and headed out of the apartment. Locking the door behind her. She would only be ten minutes there wasn't a risk in leaving it on while she nipped downstairs.

Jamie got down to the back of their apartments to chuck the boxes out as she didn't want the boxes cluttering up the apartment. So she had thrown them out. When she got there she saw a van she didn't recognise then not thinking anything of it she opened the bin and threw her boxes into it. She heard a scuffling nose and turned around but didn't see anyone so she reached her hand up to the lid and pulled it down. As she did an arm wrapped itself around her neck and a hand flew over her mouth. She struggled violently. "Get off me!" she cried kicking her legs out trying to kick whoever had their arm round her neck and hand over her mouth. As she struggled, fighting back she started to grow dizzy and her eyes grew heavy. Her body felt heavy and she gave up struggling and fell backwards into the arms of her attacker. He caught her and started dragging her across the concrete and her eyes grew heavy and she grew drowsy. Eventually she gave in and fell into blackness.

When Jamie opened her eyes again she was staring into the eyes of none other than Hayden Jackson. He grinned at her then stepped away from her. She looked down her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were tied to the chair she was sitting in and she could feel a strip of duct tape over mouth so she couldn't scream. She looked at him, his eyes were wild with rage and he was grinning madly. He had a gun in his hand, flacks gun which he had stolen long ago and used to murder three women before killing their babies. Now he intended to do the same to her and she was terrified. But the one thing that overcame that fear was strength, yes she was terrified but she had so much to live for, so much to fight for and that meant she wouldn't give up. "Now" he smirked "I finally have you. You are my prize" he walked over to her and ripped the duct tape off.

"Owww!" she winced "What do you want with me?" he grabbed her face and forced her to look around the room. The walls were covered in pictures of her, pictures of flack, pictures of them together, pictures of Leon Johnson, pictures of Rose.

"I don't want you!" he spat "I want Detective Flack to pay!"

"It wasn't his fault" said Jamie "You were there. You saw what she did!"

"HE DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL HER!" he raged before slapping her round the face

"She was going to kill him. She was terrified you idiot!" replied Jamie "She didn't know what to do. She was going to hurt someone. At the time it was the only thing to do!"

"HE KILLED HER!" he yelled into her face, spit spraying her face.

"She shot him!" Jamie looked deep into his wild eyes "She knew what would happen to her!"

"ARE YOU SAYING SHE DESERVED IT? THAT IT WAS HER FAULT?" Roared Hayden

"No" Jamie shook her head "She could've saved herself. If she had talked to him. If she had told him the truth she wouldn't have gone to prison. She would got off because of extenuating circumstances. He would've listened to her."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hayden backing off. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. He held the gun to her stomach "What are extenuating circumstances? Tell me how she would've got off?"

"Your dad beat her up then tried to shoot her so she pulled a gun and shot him in self-defence." Jamie explained out of fear. Her voice was shaking, she was trying to be positive but with a gun pressed into her stomach things could only get worse.

"So he killed an innocent girl?" asked Hayden

"No. she shot Danny then shot him. That doesn't make her innocent." Jamie shook her head, her voice cracking. "If she'd have given herself up before she fired the gun… she would've made a case of self-defence… though you messed that up for her didn't you"

"HOW DARE YOU!" He raged before slapping her round the head with the gun. "I LOVED HER!"

"You cleaned your dads nails so we wouldn't find her DNA and you got rid of the knife he used to cut her cheeks and you got rid of the gun he tried to shoot her with!" said Jamie, realising she didn't have to be scared of him. He was a kid with mental problems and he had nothing on her.

"So what if I did" he sneered "She killed him and I didn't care. I was glad she bumped him off but I couldn't have him look like the bad guy."

"If you loved her you wouldn't have gotten rid of evidence that would've helped build a case of self-defence!" retorted Jamie.

"I didn't know!" snarled Hayden "But he still killed her. He took away the girl I loved!"

"You didn't love her. You were controlling her, beating her. She was terrified of you!" said Jamie "She wanted to get away from you!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" He roared hitting her in the head with the gun again. She cried in pain before retorting.

"She hated you. She didn't love you! She loved your brother!" shouted Jamie "That's why you tampered with my brakes and framed him for it. You found out didn't you!"

"I found they'd been together once. Just before she died. It only happened once but I was mad so yeah I did it and framed him for it!" said Hayden

"You tried to have me off then but I lived didn't I?" she asked

"Of course I did. I thought you'd crash and break your neck and die!" he laughed "But you didn't cark it. So here we are. I'm finally going have you off."

"I didn't do anything to you and neither did Don. He did what he thought was right" said Jamie, trying to buy herself some time. She was praying someone would realise she was missing and call the police. Otherwise she was going to die, have her babies ripped out of her and dumped in a ditch.

"He's a murderer" snarled Hayden "He took her away from me!"

"She was going to leave you anyway. She hated you, she was terrified of you!" said Jamie, having been told about Leon's interview. Though they didn't know if it was the truth they had searched both Leon's and Layla's possessions. They had found two plane tickets to Vegas in her bedroom, her bags were packed. He'd had an envelope full of money and his bags had also been packed. Emails had also backed Leon's story up so it looked like it may have been true.

"No she wasn't!" laughed Hayden.

"Yes she was! She had two plane tickets to Vegas in her suitcase in her bedroom. For her and Leon" said Jamie

"SHE WASN'T LEAVING ME!" Roared Hayden "SHE LOVED ME!"

"She didn't" Jamie shook her head as he grabbed her cheeks and squeezed them tight "Please stop this"

"NO!" he spat in her face. "She loved me. She told me. She wasn't leaving me. She only left me when she died"

"She was running away to Vegas with Leon to have Rose and start a new life" Jamie stuck to her guns, half aware she was antagonizing him. The rage in his eyes was wilder than ever. "They were engaged, they were going to get married and start a life together!"

"No they weren't!" Hayden cried raising from the chair and kicking it across the room. Jamie watched in fear of her life.

"Yes they were" Jamie insisted, if she could push him enough he might flip enough to let her go, it was kind of like reverse psychology. Or he would flip and kill her. "Leon told us everything. When he was arrested after you framed him for tampering with my brakes! He told us that after you hit her he found her in tears and he comforted her. She found comfort in him because he knew what you're like. She tried to leave you but you controlled her didn't you. And when you hit her again and stormed off to get high he found her again crying her heart out and they had slept together. And it was because she trusted him. She trusted him!"

"LIAR!" he roared slapping her again

"You know it's true. They were seeing each other. She felt protected by him. She loved him and he loved her!" Jamie continued "She agreed to marry him! We have the engagement ring in our evidence store. They had plane tickets because they were running away together, they were going to Vegas to live with Leon's uncle, they were going to get married, she was going to have Rose and when they had enough money they were going to get a place of their own. They were going to be happy. She was going to be safe from you!"

"NO SHE WASN'T!" Yelled Hayden "SHE LOVED ME!"

"You can't accept she didn't love you can you. You're so convinced she loved you when for a year she was trying to get away from you to be with your brother because she loved and trusted him!" said Jamie, finally seeing that he might crack and let her go.

"She would never have taken Rose away from me" Hayden calmed slightly

"She was because she knew Rose isn't yours" replied Jamie

"LIAR!" he exploded slapping her so hard her lip started to bleed. "SHE IS MINE… AND BECAUSE OF YOUR BOYFRIEND I'LL NEVER GET TO SEE HER"

"You can't see her because you tampered with evidence and are a murderous raving lunatic!" Jamie spat.

"YOUR BOYFRIEND TOLD LIES TO HER FAMILY AND THEY STOPPED ME FROM SEEING HER!" sneered Hayden "IT'S HIS FAULT. ALL OF THIS IS HIS FAULT!"

"No it's not. He didn't trash your apartment and spray graffiti on the walls. He didn't murder three girls, ripped their babies out of their bodies and stabbed them in the heart! Then sent sick pictures to you! He's not the one who's been sending you death threats, threatening your girlfriend, your unborn baby, your sister is he?!" shouted Jamie "He's not the one who drugged me, kidnapped me and keeps hitting me with his fist or with a gun! YOU DID THAT. ALL OF IT!"

"BITCH!" He exploded hitting her so hard he knocked the chair over causing her to hit her head on the wooden floor and slip back into unconscious…

Elsewhere back at their apartment block her next door neighbour, Brenna, was getting worried. She had heard Jamie leave but she hadn't heard her come back. And she could smell smoke and burning. Concerned she headed to their apartment. She knocked on the door but as she did so the fire alarms sounded for their flat. "JAMIE!" She shouted pulling on the locked door. "DON!" but no one came out. She called the fire brigade then evacuated the building. "What's going on mummy?!" cried her daughter, Kimberly

"There's a fire" explained Brenna

"What about Jamie and Flack?" she asked "Are they inside?"

"I don't know" replied Brenna as they reached the safe point. Brenna took out her phone and called flack. _"Don. It's me Brenna"_

"Brenna?" he asked

"_Listen" she began "There's a fire in your apartment. The doors locked and I have no idea where Jamie is. She went out earlier to put some boxes in the bin but that was ages ago. She just left her dinner on. It's not like her. I don't think she's inside either"_

"Shit" Flack cursed, realising Hayden had finally got her "I know who's got her. Thanks" he ended the call abruptly and jumped out of his seat. He grabbed his car keys and rushed home, by the time he got there the fire department had put out the fire and he went inside. "You're lucky no one was inside." Said the lead fire fighter "Thankfully it only got the kitchen"

"So there's definitely no one in here?" asked Flack

"No one" the fire-fighter shook his. Without another word Flack left. He went down to the back of the apartments where Brenna told him Jamie had gone. He noticed there was something small on top of one of the bins so he rushed over. It was the engagement ring he had bought Jamie the week after he'd proposed to her. Underneath it there was a note. "I finally got my prize. Kiss goodbye to your family!" anger burned through Flack's entire body and it made him shake with pure rage. He was going to kill Hayden when he got his hands on him, that he was certain of. "I need the CCTV for back of the apartments!" he raged flashing his badge at the building super.

"Why?" asked the building super, Jack.

"Because my fiancée has been kidnapped. I need the registration of the car he drove off with her in!" raged flack. Jack handed over the CCTV and Flack left. Taking the CCTV, the note and the ring he raced to the lab for help. "Danny listen I need you to track this van" he thrust the disc into Danny's hands.

"Has Hayden got to Jamie?" asked Danny pushing the disc into the computer

"Yes" replied Flack. Danny took down all the cars details then scanned it into the system and brought up cameras from all over the city. They tracked it through countless streets and back alleys they thought it would lead them to direct spot where Jamie had been taken. But then the van drove into an area with virtually no cameras and they lost it. Flack put it out over the radio and worked on his next move. Danny kept going through the cameras looking for the van but nothing showed up. As he did this Flack's mobile started to ring. "Yeah"

"_Flack you've got an e-mail… from Hayden Jackson" replied the officer_

"Send it to Danny, I'm in the lab" ordered Flack before ending the call. "He's emailed me… Ryan's sending it you."

Moments later the email flashed up on the computer. "Open it" said flack folding his arms, not knowing what he was going to see.

_Finally got your pretty little thing and what a beauty she is..._

_She won't be when I'm done with her though_

_She's feisty I'll give her that. Got a lot to say for herself. Can see why you like her._

_She loves you, she'd defend you to the ends of the earth._

_But not for much longer and you will watch as I take her life away from her._

_CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR PRECIOUS GIRLFRIEND_

Mac who had been walking past saw the email on the large screen and had come inside. "So Hayden has her?"

"Yes. He's going to kill her mac" replied Flack "And wants me to watch"

"You should click it. We might be able to get a location" said mac. So Danny moved the cursor and clicked the _'click here to see your precious girlfriend'_. Moments later an apartment came into focus as did two people; Hayden and Jamie. Flack gulped, there was dried blood on her chin and forehead and she had a black eye. But she was still alive.

Back at the flat Jamie had started to come round. She was sitting up again but this time there was a camera linked up to a laptop. She tried to talk but there was duct tape over mouth. Hayden soon walked into the room gun in hand. "I sent a little email to Detective Flack and told him to say his goodbyes"

Jamie struggled in the chair, trying to break free but it was no use. "You're not leaving. Ever. Because you're going to say goodbye to Detective Flack then I'm going to kill you and he's going to watch knowing he can't help!"

She tried to scream and struggled violently to get free but he just laughed. "I told you, your life is over"

As he spoke a binging noise sounded behind him and he spun round. He bent down to look at the laptop _"Request accepted"_

"Get ready to say goodbye!" smirked Hayden as the screen changed and the lab appeared along with three people. Jamie could see them clearly, Flack, Mac and Danny.

Flack, Danny and Mac watched as Hayden walked behind her, grabbed her hair, pulled her head back and pressed the gun into her temple. _"See what your mistake has done?"_ Hayden spoke, his voice filled with rage, his eyes wild with insanity.

"LET HER GO. IF YOU WANT TO HURT SOMEONE HURT ME. IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO PUNISH, PUNISH ME. IT'S NOT HER FAULT. SHE DID NOTHING WRONG!" Raged Flack "I SHOT LAYLA NOT HER"

_You don't get it do you? That's why have to do this. You took something that was mine. I'm taking something that's yours"_ Hayden spat before ripping the duct tape off Jamie's mouth._ "Say goodbye. SAY IT!"_

"_I love you" tears spilled down her cheeks "I am not giving up. I'm going to fight with every ounce of strength I have. This is not goodbye"_

Before Jamie could say anything else Hayden hit her again and pushed the duct tape back over mouth. "I love you Jamie" said Flack as Hayden walked towards the camera. "_It's over for her!" Hayden spat before killing the connection._

Danny had recorded the whole thing so he played it back. "Look" said mac pointing to the screen "That might give us a location"

Danny and Flack worked on the image and managed to pull a location. They managed to name the building and the floor meaning flack could get a couple of officers together to raid the place.

Meanwhile Hayden was preparing to carry out the deadly deed. He stood sharpening his knife in front of Jamie who was trying to untie her hands. She twisted her hands and fiddled with the rope and she soon felt it loosening around her hands. She eventually managed to untie her hands and leaned down to untie her ankles. Finally she was free, she ripped the duct tape off and ran for the door. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" roared Hayden as he spun round on his heel, the gun firmly in his hands.

"NO!" she yelled as his finger tightened on the trigger. "NO!" but it was just too late. He had fired. She fell to the floor clutching her chest where he had just shot her. He walked over to her and looked down at her. "I told you, you aren't leaving." He spat before stamping on her face. He pointed the gun at her again and fired again, hitting her in the chest again.

Moments later they heard footsteps running in their direction. For Hayden it was bad news but for Jamie it was salvation. She was going to make it.

Outside Flack, Danny, Mac and the five other officers were ready to go in. they had their guns loaded and ready to fire. All they had to do was get in. "Three, two, ONE!" without another thought Flack kicked the door in with his foot. The door flew off its hinges and the eight police officers, led by Flack burst inside. Hayden had been ready to fire again and Flack saw this. Without another thought he flew at Hayden and pinned him to the floor. "YOU BASTARD!" he roared before punching him as hard as he possibly could. "YOU DESERVE THIS!"

Four of the officers moved in and took over pinning Hayden down while Flack pulled himself to his feet. "Jamie!" he rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms. She looked into his eyes, her strength fading, and her life slipping away.


	10. Chapter 10: Not goodbye after all

Chapter 10: Not goodbye after all

Holding her in his arms he looked down at her chest… she was bleeding. "SHE'S BEEN SHOT!" Flack shouted

"The paramedics should be here now" replied mac. Flack looked down at her, he wasn't losing her, and he wasn't letting Hayden win. If she died in front of him Hayden got what he wanted and Flack wasn't letting that happen. Not in a million years. He lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet. He couldn't lose her, not now. Not after everything. It couldn't end this way. He ran with her in his arms out to the front of the building where he was met by paramedics. He laid her on the trolley and they lifted her into the ambulance. He climbed in after and pulled the doors shut behind him. He sat down opposite the trolley while the paramedic pulled an oxygen mask over mouth and linked her up to a machine to monitor her heart rate. She slowly turned her head to look at him, tears rolling gently down her cheeks. She slowly and shakily she reached her hand out to him. He slipped his fingers between hers and squeezed her hand tightly. "It's gonna be ok" he whispered "Just keep looking at me" and she did. She kept her eyes on him and her hand firmly in his.

Soon they arrived at the hospital and they rushed her into the emergency room. As they pushed her inside their hands slipped apart. "You need to wait out here" said a nurse. She reached her hand out to him but the doors closed and he watched helplessly through them. He watched through the window as they worked on her.

After what seemed like hours they wheeled her out. Flack stood up as the doctor came over to speak to him. "We've stabilised her and we're sending her up to the OR now. We've sedated her too but it she should make it through surgery. Also the twins are fine. The bullets didn't affect them at all"

"Thank you" Flack nodded

"You can wait in the reception area and a nurse will let you know how she got on" said the doctor. Flack nodded again before heading off to find somewhere to sit and wait. While he was waiting Mac called him to let him know Hayden was in custody with four officers watching him until he could be transferred to Pennsylvania state prison. Which was a relief, there was no way he could escape under the guard of four police officers.

After what seemed like days, long painfully drawn out days, a nurse came over to him with news of the surgery. "You'll be glad to hear the operation was a complete success. She has been taken to ICU, so if you'd like to follow me I'll show you where she is"

"Ok" said Flack rising to his feet and following her. The corridors were endless and he felt like they were lost. Eventually they reached ICU. "She is in there" smiled the nurse pushing the door open. Flack walked inside, his heart lurched and shattered. He felt so guilty. She was lying there because of him. All because he had killed someone in the line of duty when she had shot at them. He knew she could still die but he tried not to think about it. Silently he sat down in the chair beside her and took her hand in his. "I love you so much. I fell for you the moment we met. I knew then you when the one and now I'm certain of it. Things have been tough lately and we've been pushing each other away because neither of us know how to deal with the situation. But it's over now, he's gone to prison and he won't be getting out. This whole thing was my fault because I made the wrong decision based on poor judgement of the situation and you've paid the price for it and I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. And I swear I'm never going to let someone hurt you ever again. I'm going to protect you and the twins till the day I die and that I promise you." He took the engagement ring from his pocket "And when this is all done and dusted will you marry me?" he slipped it onto her finger.

He just felt so guilty because he had started this whole thing by shooting Layla Harrison. If he'd just not reached for Danny's gun and fired it she'd still be alive and Hayden wouldn't have developed a psychotic rage against him and started stalking him. He wouldn't have trashed their flat, he wouldn't have killed those three girls and he wouldn't have shot Jamie. He just wished he could reverse time and redo that fateful night over again. But he couldn't and he was going to have to live with the devastating consequences of his actions.

Over the course of the next day Danny, Lindsay, mac, Hawkes, Adam and Jo all visited Jamie, who improving. They were all worried she wouldn't pull through but Jamie was a feisty girl who never let things drag her down. That night while Flack was sitting with her a gentle whistle sounded. "What was that?" asked Flack

"She tripped the ventilator" explained the doctor "She's breathing by herself. That's good, it means we can take her off the ventilator"

"So she's going to pull through?" asked flack

"Yes. I tell you she's a fighter. She nearly died on the table when she went into cardiac arrest but she came back to us" said the doctor. The doctor carefully removed the tube from Jamie's mouth and she started to breathe by herself "She'll probably come round soon" he smiled before leaving.

Flack sat beside her waiting anxiously for her to come round. He had started to drift off to sleep when he felt something touch his hand waking him again. He looked down and saw Jamie's hand resting on top of his making him look up at her. Her eyes were open and she was watching him, a small smile on her face. "Yes"

"Yes what?" he frowned

"Yes I will marry you" she smiled.

"You heard that?" asked Flack

"Yes" she nodded "And I don't blame you. It's not your fault he's a psycho. Most people don't develop a psychotic rage which leads them to stalk, beat and murder someone."

Everyone was thrilled to hear Jamie had woken up and was going to be ok. It was like the cherry on top of the cake, they had arrested a psychotic killer, put him behind bars and now his latest victim was awake and talking as if he hadn't just shot her.

Jamie was kept in hospital to be monitored because of her injuries and because she was heavily pregnant. While she was in their kitchen was repaired which took two days, but it meant once she was out they could go straight back and live there. Then after a week their lives changed forever… "Owww!" cried Jamie clutching her stomach

"Are you ok?" asked the nurse

"NO! I'm in agony!" cried Jamie clinging to her stomach

"I'll get a doctor" said the nurse before hurrying off. Jamie scrunched up in pain then let out a blood curdling scream. She needed a hand to told, someone to lean on yet she was alone. She needed flack and today he wasn't there. She couldn't get comfortable on the bed so she lifted the covers off her legs and pushed out of the bed. As she did pain tore through her and she doubled over clutching her stomach. "I mean you've really picked your timing!" she hissed "AWW SHIT!" another pain tore through her. She reached for her mobile, rested her arms on the bed and took several deep breaths. She switched her mobile and hurriedly scroll through her contacts. _"Don… call." _She held the phone to her ear, she could hear it ringing, "Come on pick up!" it kept ringing. As it rung she heard a massive splash. She looked down, there was a massive puddle by her feet. "SHIT!" this was it, no more waiting, praying she would reach the end of her pregnancy without being murdered. It was happening and she was alone. "_You've reached Don Flack please leave a message". _Jamie closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "I NEED YOU! MY WATERS HAVE BROKEN. GET YOUR ARSE HERE NOW!" She screamed down the phone before calling off.

Moments later the nurse came back in with a doctor. "Her waters have broken" said the nurse observantly. "You need to get back on the bed and the doctor will take a look… and you need to put that away" she gestured to Jamie's phone.

"I was calling my partner!" exclaimed Jamie sitting back down on the bed "He has a right to know he's about to become a dad!

"You need to calm down" said the doctor "It's not good for you or the babies if you're stressed out… if you could just lie down for me and I'll check how dilated you are"

Jamie complied but couldn't help scowling. Of course she was stressed, she had been shot a week ago, now she was in labour, she was in agony and it looked like she was going to go through it alone. The doctor soon looked at her "Well you'll be pleased to know it will be over soon because you're fully dilated"

"What?!" she gulped pushing herself back into the sitting position.

The doctor was wrong, very wrong. It was taking what felt like to Jamie, absolutely hours. It hadn't been that long. But it had been almost two hours. "You need to push!" said the doctor exasperatedly

"I AM!" She yelled. What did he think she was just standing there with her legs crossed, not trying, not pushing? Of course she was trying, she wanted this over with, she was in excruciating pain, the worse pain she had ever been in! "How about we swap positions and you do this and I'll shout orders at you while you're in pain!"

"I think we need to look at other options" sighed the doctor running his fingers through his hair. "She's getting too stressed, Jenny get the OR on the phone see if they've got a free space. I think we're going to have to do a C-section"

"Will do" Nurse Jenny left the room while Jamie sat back on the bed. She took a couple of deep breaths and put her head in her hands. The doctor looked at her and said "I need to do a scan. I think something might be wrong"

"Wrong?" she gulped, pain rippled through her. Neither of them spoke again. Emotions whirled in Jamie's head, what was wrong? Suddenly she felt terrified and more alone than ever. The doctor moved the probe over her swollen stomach and his expression screamed concern. Soon he was done and she sat up again. He stood up and started to explain "One of the babies is foetal distress. And as you're very distressed we need to act so you're going to need a C-section"

"What?" she trembled, she felt her hands start to shake.

The nurse came back in. "They can take her straight away" said Jenny.

"Ok prep her and we'll get her up there straightaway and hopefully put her mind at rest" said the doctor. Jenny nodded and the doctor left.

Jamie was scared now, really scared. She had been scared when she had been kidnapped, held at gunpoint and shot at but this was a different kind of fear. She really didn't want to go through this alone but she was going to have to because Flack showed no signs of making an appearance. "Can I try Don again?" she asked "I can't do this on my own"

"Once I've done this I'll call him again" replied jenny opening the back Jamie's hospital gown. Jamie took a deep breath and felt the needle go into her back. It was ice cold and made her shiver. Jenny then left her alone for a moment while the anaesthetic kicked in. she returned a few minutes later. "I'm afraid he didn't pick up"

"Oh" Jamie looked down, she felt so disappointed. So let down and so very alone. This was a big moment in her life and she wanted him there yet he wasn't there and he wasn't answering her calls.

"The porters will be here to take you up in a minute" said Jenny softly before leaving again.

Meanwhile Flack was on his way back to the precinct with Danny and a suspect. He took his phone out of his pocket and switched it back on._ "Two missed calls". _He opened the voicemails up and nearly went deaf when he heard Jamie screaming down the phone at him. He ended the voicemail and turned to Danny. "Drop me off at the hospital… Jamie's gone into labour!"

Danny put his foot down as they raced through traffic towards the hospital. The call had been made nearly two hours ago; had he missed it? Flack's mind was running round in circles and he felt guilty for turning his phone off. He was kicking himself internally for it.

Back at the hospital the porters had arrived to take Jamie to the OR. As they wheeled her through the doors she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. So Flack wasn't going to be there but at least they were going to put her out of her agonising misery. They wheeled her through the halls of the hospital as they did she felt like a bag of nerves.

Downstairs flack had arrived and was racing up the stairs like a rocket. He soon reached ward she had been in where Jenny told him "She's been taken to the OR on the fourteenth floor" flack raced up there as fast as he could. As he came through the doors at the top of the stairs he saw the porters pushing Jamie out of the elevator. He sighed with relief and ran over as fast as he could.

Jamie nervous as anything, opened her eyes and turned her head to the side. To her surprise Flack was running towards her, he had made it after all. "Don!" she cried with relief as he reached and their hands fell together. "What's going on?" he asked

"I've got to have a C-section" she replied "Things went wrong. So they decided this was the only option"

He nodded trying to understand, still kicking himself for not getting there sooner and for having his mobile switched off. They gave him a gown and he was allowed to come in with her. She didn't let go out of his hand out nervousness. Fifteen minutes in their lives changed forever with the heart-warming yet ear shattering cry of their first baby. "It's a boy" said the doctor placing him a towel a nurse was holding. She took him over to be checked over briefly before wrapping him up in a tight bundle. Then she walked over and carefully placed him in Flack's arms. Flack felt a surge of overwhelming love and his heart burst with pride. This was their son and he was perfect. He was a little survivor. Then he placed him on Jamie's chest who subsequently burst into tears of happiness. "Hello" she whispered stroking his forehead with her finger. Her heart had exploded for an overwhelming surge of love for her newborn son and she knew she would go to any lengths to protect him. They both would.

Their happiness was only doubled by a second heart-warming yet ear shattering cry and the doctor saying "It's a girl". The nurse checked her over then wrapped her in a tight bundle before handing her to Flack while the doctor stitched Jamie up. Flack looked down at the beautiful baby girl in his arms, she was the spit of her mom. His heart just melted with love for her, a love that would make him go to any length to protect her. They both would. Jamie looked up at the newborn baby girl in Flacks arms and smiled. She was perfect. They were both perfect. Then Flack looked over to Jamie at the handsome little chap on Jamie's chest. He smiled, they had made it, all of them. Someone had tried to drag them down, tried to ruin them and yet here they were, the whole thing was over and now they had two babies to love and to cherish. It was just a beautiful symbol of how far they had come. They smiled to each other as they each held a baby. Flack reached over to her and gently kissed her on the lips.

After a few minutes two nurses took the newborn twins to be properly checked over by a pediatric doctor. Jamie was taken to another ward to recover, flack right beside her. The nurses got her comfortable and offered her some food which she gratefully accepted for she was starving. After she'd eaten two nurses brought the twins to them in separate incubators. "I think they're ready for their first feed" smiled one of the nurses.

Jamie was far too exhausted to do it the natural way, which was understanding given the circumstances so the nurses prepared bottles and helped them get the babies in the correct positions. Jamie feed their daughter while flack fed their son. All the troubles of the last five months just disappeared from their minds and they thrived for the 'here and now'. After they had finished feeding them it was time for the most important thing; naming them. "We need to name them" said Jamie "Any ideas?"

"Jordan" said Flack "and Danni"

"I was thinking Mikayla" replied "But I like Jordan"

"Mikayla and Jordan then?" he asked, smiling

"Welcome to New York Mikayla and Jordan" smiled Jamie

Mikayla was the spitting image of Jamie right down to her eyes, nose and mouth. She had Jamie's big brown eyes and her heart shaped mouth. She had masses of tiny dark brown curls on top of her head too. Jordan took after his dad, taking Flacks facial shape, nose and mouth but taking Jamie's brown eyes. He had tuffs of dark on his head in slightly uneven patches. There was a fair size difference between them too. While Jordan was 50cm long and nearly eight pounds Mikayla was barely 42cm long and a much lighter six pounds. This was obvious when they were laid next to each other on the bed for a picture.

Jamie was so happy that Flack made it there in time, right when she probably had needed him most. She couldn't have done that without there. She had been nervous as anything and scared as hell. He had gotten there, he had seen them born and that was all that mattered to her, to both of them.

Danny had spread the news at the lab which had excited everyone. So later than night they all flurried to the hospital to meet the proud new parents. The all flooded into the room, all smiling at Jamie who was now holding Jordan and flack who was holding Mikayla. "Hey!" smiled Danny, first into the room followed by Lindsay, Mac, Hawkes, Jo and Adam.

"Hey" replied Jamie smiling

"Aww they're gorgeous!" Jo gushed

"What have you named them?" asked Adam

"Mikayla" replied Jamie

"And Jordan" said Flack

"Look at all that hair!" grinned Danny "She is like Jamie's doppelganger!" everyone laughed in agreement.

"So how you feeling?" asked Lindsay

"Exhausted!" laughed Jamie "But better"

After everyone had, had a cuddle and coo and had taken a few pictures they started to leave. Jamie and Flack asked mac to be their godfather, to which he had replied "It would be my pleasure". Eventually they had left and they were alone once more. Mikayla and Jordan were now sound asleep in their cots. "I didn't think you would make it in time" admitted Jamie

"I'm sorry" he replied "I should never have switched my mobile off. I will kick myself for it for the rest of my life because I wasn't there when you needed me"

"I'm just pleased that you were when they were finally born" she smiled "I couldn't have gone through that alone. I was just terrified. I didn't really understand what was going on."

"You could have because you're so strong" he smiled squeezing her hand.

Three days later Jamie, Mikayla and Jordan were given the all clear and were all discharged from hospital. Each carrying a baby in a carrier they left the hospital together hand in hand. They strapped the seats into their new car and Jamie sat in the back with them to make sure they were ok while they drove home. Twenty minutes later they parked in the underground car park of their apartment building and unstrapped the seats. Once again each of them carrying a baby and hand in hand they headed up to their floor. Flack let them in then shut the door once they were all in. Jamie unstrapped Jordan while Flack unstrapped Mikayla. Standing in the middle of the room Jamie said "Welcome home Jordan and Mikayla".

They were all home from hospital and their lives had changed. Things were finally looking up again and they all looked forward to some good laughs and many good times to come. There was so much to live for and look forward to. Now home from hospital they didn't haven't the nurses to help them but it wasn't hard. The first night was tough, neither of them slept very well but that was to be expected. And from there life went on. Hayden was locked away where he could not hurt anyone, they were safe at last. Things had changed for the better and it looked like their stalking hell was over… Or was it?


	11. Chapter : Plans

Chapter 11: Plans

Time had slipped by in a blur for Jamie and Flack. A blur of dirty nappies, giggles and cuddles. Their days had been happy, some had been tough but at least things were simple and most importantly safe. By now five months had passed and the twins were five months old and the apple of their parent's eyes. They had developed and defined personalities. Jordan was very bouncy and hyperactive. Definitely the bigger attention seeker out of the pair of them and he cried a lot more than his twin sister. Mikayla was very laid back but also very hyperactive when she wanted to be. She was very quiet and hardly ever cried unlike her twin brother. But the one thing they both did was repeatedly poke each other in the face. Every day without fail they would do it, usually when they were laid on their mat. They would start straight and wouldn't stop, they would giggle ferociously because they both thought it was hilarious. Flack and Jamie often had to pull them apart before they hurt the other which they didn't like either and would both scream their heads off. They were very close though, there was nothing more they liked than curling up together and falling asleep.

Things looked good and Flack and Jamie had even starting making plans for their wedding, for the second time round. Having had to cancel the first time out of debt. They had decided they wanted the simplest ceremony possible and a low key reception. It wasn't because they were stripped for cash, because all in all they were stable now. It was because after all the troubles of the past year they just wanted something small and something that to them would be memorable.

Also coming up was Hayden Jackson's trial. He was being tried for assault, attempted murder, eight murders, and intent to endanger life, kidnap and breaking and entering and lastly harassment (the letters he had sent to them threatening them). They knew there was every chance he wouldn't be convicted of every charge against his name but if he was charged with the murders and attempted murder he would get the death sentence. That was enough. Mac and his team had been working extremely hard to build the best case possible and they had done a fantastic job. They deserved an award for their hard work they really did. The judge had reviewed their case and had agreed with the evidence they would be able to convict him of most of the charges against his name. He would never be able to touch them again and that was a relief. Both Jamie and Flack had to give evidence at his trial and they were both confident about what they were going to say.

The trial was progressing well. So far he had been tried and convicted for breaking into and trashing their apartment. He had been tried for intent to endanger life but there wasn't enough evidence either way so the charge was dropped completely. He had been tried and convicted of assaulting Jamie when she had been thirty weeks pregnant, something which had made the jury gasp. The defence attorney (the people defending Hayden) had claimed he had chased without reason and had attacked him first. Hayden had played it to advantage. He had said she had run in after and hit him so he shoved over and hit her. Then he told them how she kicked him in the face then how Flack had attacked him. Then Jamie had, had her say in what had happened, telling them the truth of what had happened. Then Flack had given his version of events. He was convicted within under an hour. And of assaulting Flack in the cells of the precinct. Unfortunately there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate the claims that he had murdered the two guards on his way to Pennsylvania state prison. The last thing he had been convicted of was killing Harriet Mason, Lilly Harris and Danielle Kline and stabbing to death their babies. He had been found guilty by the jury in under half an hour. The whole courtroom had worn expressions of horror and disgust as the gory details had been read out by the barrister. The defence barrister had argued diminished responsibility and even that Flack had framed him but the efforts were wasted as the evidence was so overwhelming against him

Finally it was time for him to be tried for his kidnap and attempted murder of the then heavily pregnant Jamie and the then unborn twins. It was by now the fifth week of the trial and hopefully the last. And today Jamie was up to give her side of the story. This part of the trial had begun six days before. All of the officers involved had given their statements, including Flack, Mac and Danny, the CCTV tape had been shown, the e-mail was read out and the video of Hayden forcing Jamie to say goodbye to Flack had been played. Jamie had heard what Hayden had claimed happened. He had claimed she had provoked him by telling lies about Layla Harrison who he had supposedly been in love with. That she pushed his buttons and he had fired in anger. That was a lie, she knew it was a lie and he knew it was a lie. But the defence barrister was going to work that to his advantage. So today it was Jamie's turn and boy was she going to give it all she had!

She had woken early that morning, she couldn't sleep, she was so worried she would slip up in court and he wouldn't get punished for what he had put her through. Flack was still asleep, Mikayla was still asleep, even Jordan was still asleep and that was a rarity. He was usually the first awake. She had her breakfast and had long hot shower. In the shower she went over everything she was going to say in court today making she sure she had everything perfect. She wasn't going to slip up and let him get away with what he had done to her. Not in a million years. Finally she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She headed quietly into their bedroom and started to get dressed. As she pulled on her jacket she heard yawning behind her and the bed sheets ruffling. She turned around and saw Flack sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. She giggled slightly; his hair was sticking up all over the place and it made him look like a scarecrow. "You're awake early" he yawned

"Couldn't sleep" she replied "I couldn't stop thinking about today. Worrying that I might slip up and he won't get punished for what he did"

"You won't" he shook his head "You've been preparing for this for weeks. You know you're telling the truth and when the jury hear it they'll know you're not a liar. He will get punished"

"But what if I do?" she sighed, the thought really did scare her. She didn't want him out on the streets or ever able to get out of jail. She knew he would go for Mikayla and Jordan if he did and she couldn't bear the thought.

"You won't I'll be there to support you all the way" he reassured. She smiled at him, he was right and she had the confidence to make sure this went the right way. As Flack climbed out of bed a shrill cry filled the apartment. "I'll sort him out" said Flack climbing out of the bed.

"Thanks" she smiled. He left the room and went into the nursery were Jordan was screaming his head off. He switched on the light and went over to his crib. He leaned down and picked Jordan up. He bounced the crying baby boy in arms and he started to calm down. He looked over to Mikayla; she was lying awake in her crib watching them intently. "I guess you're hungry?" Jordan grinned at him in reply. "Come on then" Flack left the room him and strapped him into his baby seat and started preparing two baby bottles. A few minutes later Jamie came in carrying Mikayla in her arms before strapping her into her seat too.

After they had been fed Flack and Jamie dressed Jordan and Mikayla. While Flack strapped them into their car seats Jamie sorted their bag out, her head whirling with worries about today's events. Her stomach was doing somersaults. Eventually they left and dropped the twins off with Lucas and Jasper, who had been looking after them a lot as the trial had progressed. Finally they arrived at the court and went in hand in hand. Once there they spoke to Mac and their attorney. Soon someone came out of the court to tell them it was time. "Ready?" asked Flack

"As I'll ever be" she replied

"Good luck" he smiled hugging her tightly. She kissed him passionately on the lips and kissed her back with such a passion. Eventually they pulled apart and she straightened herself up before taking a deep breath and going in. flack watched her before he entered the room with mac with to sit in the gallery.

Once she had sworn to the tell truth about everything and the formalities were over questioning began. "Would you like to tell us what happened on the day in question?" asked the defence attorney.

"I went down to the bins behind my apartment block" Jamie began, confident she was going to get this right. "When I got there, there was a van I didn't recognise but I thought nothing of it. I reached up to pull the lid down and as I did an arm wrapped itself around my neck and hand with a tissue was forced over my mouth-"

"Did you see the defendants face then?" the defence attorney cut over her

"No" said Jamie

"So it may not have been Hayden Jackson" said the defence attorney

"It was… the CCTV footage showed it was him" replied Jamie

"It was a fuzzy image it could merely have been a look-a-like" the defence attorney suggested

"It was him and I-"

"How could you know when you just told us you didn't see his face" the defence attorney interrupted

"I couldn't" she sighed

"You just think it was him because you don't like him" argued the defence attorney "He wrote some letters to you and you had a fight and you are simply saying he did this because of that hatred"

"I am not" she objected

"He broke into your home and wrecked all of your possessions; that would make you angry enough to frame him for this" continued the defence attorney.

"Objection!" their attorney stood up "Your honour this is not relevant"

"Sustained" said the chief judge "Stick to relevant facts of this case"

"What happened next?" asked the defence attorney

"I struggled with him to let me go but I fell unconscious" she replied "When I woke up I was tied to a chair. My hands were behind my back and my legs were tied to the chair and there was duct tape over my mouth so I couldn't scream. He was standing over me and he was laughing and he had the gun in his hand-".

"The gun if I'm not mistaken used to belong to Detective Flack?" the defence attorney cut over her again.

"Yes" she nodded

"Very well, continue" said the Defence attorney.

"Then he ripped the tape off and I asked him what he wanted with me. He said he wanted Detective Flack to pay for killing his girlfriend Layla Harrison. I told him that it wasn't his fault because she had shot Detective Danny Messer twice and shot him in the arm. He raged that he didn't have to kill her then he slapped me round the face. I told him he' had to do otherwise she would've killed them all and that she was terrified at the time. He didn't listen and yelled in my face that he killed her. I said she shot him and that she knew he would shoot her. He thought I meant that she deserved it. I tried to tell him I didn't mean that and that if she had talked to them she might not have gone to prison. He backed off a bit and made me tell him how she could've gotten off but he had the gun pressed into my stomach. He got angry again when he believed that Detective Flack had shot an innocent woman. I told him because she shot Detective Messer and Detective Flack she wasn't an innocent. I told him if she'd have given herself up before she fired she would've made a case of self-defence. Then he hit me round the head with the gun."

"And why would this be?" asked the defence Attorney

"We learnt new information about Layla" said Jamie "After my car was sabotaged a suspect was brought in and he told us that Joseph Jackson had attacked her violently. He said he cut her cheek and beat her up and tried to shoot her. Findings from autopsy confirmed these injuries. He said she shot him in self-defence."

"But findings show the DNA of Layla Harrison was not discovered under the fingernails of Joseph Jackson" said the defence attorney

"Hayden admitted he removed the DNA from his nails, disposed of the gun and the knife" replied Jamie

"He admitted that you" asked the defence attorney

"Yes" Jamie nodded

"LIAR!" Yelled Hayden from the defendant's box.

"The defendant will be silent" ordered the chief judge "Please continue"

"What happened after this?" asked the defence attorney

"I told him he had sabotaged her chances of building a case of self-defence and he didn't like it" continued Jamie "I told him how I knew he'd been beating her and controlling her"

"And how is it you know this?" asked the defence attorney

"I was told… by Detective Flack and Detective Messer" she said "It came from the person suspected of sabotaging my breaks. I told him how she hadn't loved him but was in love with his brother. He told me he knew they'd been together once. He said he framed Leon for it because of that. I said that he'd tried to have me off then but didn't succeed and he admitted that he had hoped I would break my neck and die. He told me he was angry I hadn't died and that was why he had taken me. He said he was finally going to have me off. I told him that neither I nor Detective Flack had done anything to him. But he insisted that Detective Flack is a murderer because he took her away from him. I told that she had been going to leave him because she was terrified of him and she hated him. He got even angrier then and he didn't believe me. So insisted she was. He said she wasn't leaving him and she loved him. I said she didn't and he grabbed my cheeks and squeezed them tight. I begged him to stop this but he spat in my face and said she only left him when she died. I insisted she was running away to Las Vegas with his half-brother Leon Johnson so they could get married and she could have Rose-"

"LIAR!" Hayden yelled again. "SHE IS A LIAR!"

"If the defendant shouts out again he shall be removed from the courtroom" said the chief judge. "Please continue"

We argued it out until he hit me again. He blamed Detective Flack for him not being able to see Rose. I told him it wasn't, that he hadn't done all the vile things he has. Then he hit me so hard the chair fell over and I was knocked unconscious" explained Jamie.

"What happened after you came round?" asked the defence attorney

"I was still tied up and there was duct tape over my mouth" she replied. "He said had sent an email to Detective Flack and that he had told him to say his goodbyes. I tried to get free but I was too tightly tied. He said I wasn't leaving ever and that I was going to say goodbye to Detective Flack then he was going to kill me. Then a video link was opened up and I saw Detective Flack, Detective Messer and Detective Taylor on the other end. He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back and pressed a gun to my temple. I struggled with him as he spoke to them. He said 'see what your mistake has done. Detective Flack yelled at him that he should punish him not me. He said Detective Flack didn't understand, he had taken something that was his so he was taking something that was his. I told Detective Flack I loved him and that I wasn't goodbye. Then Hayden hit me again and put the duct tape back over my mouth and said it was over for me. Then he killed the connection. He stood in front of me sharpening a large knife that he was planning on stabbing me with-"

"You don't know that" the defence attorney cut over her

"If he wasn't he wouldn't have been sharpening it in front of me!" she defended "I managed to untie myself and ripped the tape off. I made a run for the door but he turned around. I screamed no at him twice but he didn't listen and fired the gun and I fell down. He walked over and said, 'I told you, you aren't leaving'. Then he stamped on my face. Then he fired again. That's the last thing I remember."

The defence cross examined her further and probed all aspects of her version of events so the jury could deliberate.

Finally the day was brought to a close and they left the courtroom. "That was fantastic" said mac "They had trouble probing you"

"You think I did good?" she asked

"Yeah" Flack smiled hugging her tightly "You did amazing!"

They picked the twins up from Lucas's apartment and headed home. They had a quiet night and prepared themselves for tomorrow, tomorrow was Hayden's version of events. They dropped the twins off with Sam the next morning and headed for court. The following day Leon was called to the witness box to confirm his relationship with Layla and the details Jamie had specified the previous day. Then the day after that Flack and Danny were called to confirm they had told her. Then it was Hayden's turn to give evidence; to give his side of the story. Hayden's version of events very different from Jamie's and he claimed he'd fired by accident. He claimed that Jamie had provoked him by telling lies about Layla. "She provoked me. She told lies about Layla"

"You loved Layla didn't you?" said the attorney

"Yes" replied Hayden

"But she didn't love you did she?" continued the attorney "DNA tests confirm you are not the biological father of Rose Harrison. But your half-brother Leon Johnson is."

"No that's no true!" shouted Hayden

"Yes it is" said the attorney "Detective Lovato simply told you the truth"

"NO!" Yelled Hayden "She is a liar. She said she was leaving me!"

"We have a signed statement from Leon Johnson and evidence to back this up" said the attorney.

"Objection!" the defence attorney rose to his feet "This is not relevant!"

"Please stick to facts relevant to the crime in question not domestic situations" said the chief judge

"Your honour" said the attorney. The attorney probed Hayden significantly and brought pieces of evidence into play. The defence attorney frequently made objections many of which were dismissed by the chief judge. Then he tried to claim Jamie had provoked him. "I put it to you that Detective Lovato provoked my client by saying things she knew would upset him. He loved and cherished Layla and she tried to destroy her memory. He reacted angrily because he loved her"

Eventually the jury went away to deliberate. They returned two hours later with a verdict. "Has the jury reached a verdict on the count of kidnap?" asked the chief judge.

Jamie and Flack watched them anxiously, both praying it was a guilty verdict. "The jury has reach the verdict that the defendant is guilty of kidnap". Flack and Jamie sighed with relief, just one more verdict to be heard. Did they think he was guilty of attempting to kill her?

"Has the Jury reached a verdict on the count of the attempted murder of Detective Jamie Lovato and her then unborn babies?" asked the Chief Judge.

"The Jury has reached the verdict that the defendant, Hayden Jackson is guilty of attempted murder in the first degree" replied the Jury member. The whole courtroom literally cheered with relief and joy that he had been found guilty of the attempted murder of Jamie and the then unborn twins.

The Chief Judge sentenced Hayden to the death penalty for his harrowing crimes. On his way out of court he saw Jamie and Flack and yelled at them "IT'S NOT OVER. I'M NOT DONE, NOT TILL YOU'RE DEAD. I WILL GET YOU!" He was led away to a van and he was taken back to Pennsylvania state prison and put on death row. He was never going to hurt them again, he was on death row, it was over… or was his desire for revenge so strong he wasn't giving up his hate campaign?


	12. Chapter 12: Escaped

Chapter 12: Escaped

Three months passed after the trial and things were quiet and normal. Life was finally back to normal, well with exception of eight month old twins. But it was normal enough. But many miles away in Pennsylvania someone was going to the rock their world again…

Flack and Jamie were in the precinct when their boss called them into his office. "What's going on?" asked Flack

"I hate to have to tell you this" he began sitting down "I received a phone call from Pennsylvania state prison this morning. Hayden Jackson has escaped from prison"

"How?" fumed Flack, just when they thought they were leading a normal, quiet life the person who had tried to destroy them was free once more. Free to do whatever he wanted and that made him inexplicably angry. "He was on death row. That's like solitary confinement!"

"He attacked the guards when they opened the cell door and managed to escape without being seen. The whole prison is under investigation by Pennsylvania police as to how this was able to happen. Anyone who was negligent will be fired and made to face charges of negligence" their boss explained.

"What do we do?" asked Jamie

"Nothing, there's nothing you can do. You just have to pray he doesn't come after you again. But he's immediately become a most wanted criminal. His face will be shown everywhere and police will be looking for him" replied their boss. He let them go back to work but their minds were somewhere else now, they were worrying about what would happen now Hayden was once again on the loose.

As they drove home that night they talked about it. "I thought it was over" said Jamie "I thought they had him locked up for good"

"So did I" replied Flack "They should've put him to death straight away. He's a complete psychopath. The only the way to get rid of him is to put a bullet in his skull"

"Least he wouldn't be able to come back. But this time he can target the twins too" said Jamie, her stomach churning at the thought of him hurting her babies. Those thoughts were unbearable. "I don't know what we can do to keep them safe. He's not going to give up Don. Not till he's finally killed you"

Flack turned his head to look at her before looking back at the road ahead. She was right, he knew she was. Hayden had escaped to finish him off and he knew he would destroy everything that he held dear before finally killing him. Flack knew that meant he was going to kill the twins before killing him and it made him feel so guilty inside. They had been born into a life that seemed doomed and it made him feel like killing Hayden, he would do anything to protect them and that including dying for them. And it looked like he was. He turned his head round to look at the sleeping twins in the back, he felt an enormous stab of guilt and he turned his head away.

That night they tucked the twins in then climbed in bed together. But neither of them could sleep, they both spent ages tossing and turning before eventually giving up on falling asleep. So they got out of bed and watched the twins sleep for a while, savouring them. After a while they curled up on the sofa together in each other's arms and talked quietly.

The weeks passed and things remained quiet, Hayden seemed to be keeping a low profile. He had been sighted several times but he hadn't been caught. He hadn't made any massive moves like committing murder or assault. It seemed he had slowly made his way from Pennsylvania and it became clear he was planning something. He wanted things meticulous and he wanted the thing he was planning to go smoothly. Jamie and Flack were watching their shadows like hawks and checking up on the twins frequently. They couldn't bear the thought of something happening to them…

It had now been five weeks since Hayden had escaped from Pennsylvania state prison and had made his way back to New York. And now he was ready to give up being quiet. He had decided to make his move but not on Jamie or Flack or the twins. But someone else he deeply wanted to punish, punish for being a traitor. Flack and Jamie were both at home having clocked off early that day and were spending time with Mikayla and Jordan who were both climbing over Flack while Jamie cooked dinner. "Jordan get your finger out of my nose now!" said Flack. Jordan giggled at him and pulled his finger out of Flacks nose before rolling off him and onto the floor beside his head. "I am not a trampoline Mikayla!" he looked down at her as she happily bounced up and down on his stomach. He heard Jamie laughing from the kitchen and said "It's not that funny they're going to give me bruises everywhere! They're using me like a climbing frame!"

"It is trust me. You're just not seeing it from my point of view!" she laughed

"Let's swap over and she can bounce all over you and he can stick his finger up your nose!" he retorted playfully

"Jordan!" she exclaimed walking into the room and picking him up "How many times have I told you not to stick your finger up your daddy's nose?!" Jordan giggled at her as she tickled his cheeks. "I don't know where he gets that from… you don't pick your nose in front of him do you?"

"No I don't!" he replied, mockingly insulted "I do it in the car when you're not looking". She slapped him in the arm playfully.

"Better put these devils in their highchairs dinners ready" she smiled before walking into the kitchen. As she went the phone started ringing. "I'll get it" he said walking over to the phone with Mikayla still bouncing around in his arms. He picked it up and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey Flack its Danny, your boss asked me to call you to tell you he needs you to come in urgently" said the caller, Danny._

"Why?" asked Flack.

"_Leon Johnson's been shot and Rose has been kidnapped" explained Danny "I am at the scene now. They're taking him to hospital now and they think he'll make it. But Rose is gone and we think it may have been Hayden Jackson. We're collecting evidence now"_

"Ok" Flack gulped. Hayden had made his move, he had given up being quiet and hidden the shadows; he really wasn't done. "I'll be there soon" before hanging up. He hugged Mikayla protectively in his arms and she looked up at him with her big brown eyes and smiled a gummy grin. "I'll always protect you, you know that" he said walking into the kitchen with her.

"Who was on the phone?" asked Jamie placing a bowl in front of a very excited Jordan.

"Danny. Leon Johnson has been shot and Rose Harrison has been kidnapped" replied Flack "They think it was Hayden and our boss wants me to come in and work the case"

"Leon Johnson… isn't that his half-brother? Rose's biological father?" said Jamie

"Yeah and it looks like he's finally realised the truth and made his move on him" nodded Flack putting Mikayla in her highchair. "He's been taken to hospital and they think he'll make it"

Jamie nodded, not sure what she should say next. It just confirmed her fears that Hayden wasn't done with them either and that thought killed her inside.

Flack put his jacket on and took the car keys before heading to the scene. He spoke to witnesses and neighbours and collected CCTV tapes. All the evidence collected led straight to Hayden Jackson. His fingerprints were found all over the scene and he was seen entering the apartment then exiting after the shooting with fourteen month old Rose Harrison. The gun was a little tricky to trace. Bullets sent from the hospital were run through ballistics and found the gun was in fact licensed to Taylor Harrison, the brother of Layla Harrison. But when they went to question him he wasn't there. It was by now three o'clock in the morning and most of the city were safely tucked up in their beds but Detectives Flack and Messer were the exception to this rule. They were on a case that needed solving straight away and the culprit caught immediately as he posed a massive risk to several people, three of these people very incredibly vulnerable as they could not talk or walk yet. These three vulnerable innocents were Jordan and Mikayla Flack and Rose Harrison. Flack rapped on the Harrison's front door. Soon the door opened and standing on the other side of the door was a very tired looking Mrs Harrison. She had just climbed out of bed. "Can I help you?" she yawned leaning on the door frame.

"Detective Flack and this Detective Messer. We're looking for your son"

"Taylor?" she asked, instantly becoming completely alert. "Is he ok?"

"We don't know. But we believe he supplied the gun that was used to shoot Leon Johnson last night" explained Flack

"What?!" she exclaimed, clearly shocked. They could tell she didn't believe he would do such a thing. "I think you should come in…"

She led them into the living room. "Please sit…Would you like tea or coffee?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously. Flack could see was worried and that there was definitely something on her mind that she needed to tell them. He and Danny sat down in the armchairs either side of the sofa.

"No thanks" Flack and Danny shook their heads. She left the room briefly and returned with her husband. She had said anything to him yet, that was clear. They both sat down on the sofa and held hands tightly.

"What's going on?" asked Mr Harrison looking between Flack and Danny.

"They're saying Taylor gave Hayden Jackson a gun and he shot Leon with it last night" she replied tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Taylor wouldn't do such a thing" Mr Harrison shook his head in denial.

"He has" said Flack shortly

"My son is not an idiot. He would not supply a convicted murderer and kidnapper with a gun" snapped Mr Harrison.

"The bullets removed from Leon Johnson during surgery were run through our system and matched to a gun registered in your son's name" said Danny "Whether you or not you believe it your son supplied him with the gun that nearly took granddaughters father away from her and resulted in him kidnapping her"

"I don't why Taylor would do such a stupid thing. He swore he was never going to see that psychotic, mental son of a bitch again." Seethed Mr Harrison "He hated him for what he did to all those girls and their babies"

"Yet he put letters that Hayden had written in my letterbox?" said Flack

"Hayden threatened him" sobbed Mrs Harrison "With a gun. He told if he didn't do it he would kill him and Rose"

"What?" Danny and Flack looked at each other "Why didn't he say when he was arrested"

"Hayden told him if he told them he'd threatened him he would kill all of us and we knew after what he did those girls and their babies he was capable of it" explained Mr Harrison

"He beat Taylor up after he was released on bail" sobbed Mrs Harrison "Because he told you about the letters"

"But he didn't tell us he had been threatened" said Flack "He just said he had been posting them and Hayden had been writing them"

"Hayden didn't care" Mrs Harrison shook her head.

"Where is your son?" demanded Flack

"I don't know where my son is!" replied Mrs Harrison "He left two days ago and he hasn't comeback. He had his bags, he just said he would be back in a few months"

"Do you have a phone number?" asked Danny

"I've tried calling him but he's changed his number" she sighed

"What about Rose?" asked Mr Harrison, obviously concerned for his granddaughter's welfare. "Is she ok?"

"We don't know" Danny shook his head "She wasn't there. We have CCTV footage showing Hayden leaving Leon's apartment with her after he had shot him"

"So who you gonna protect?" asked Flack "Your son who has already been involved with Hayden's shenanigans before and was charged for it or your innocent granddaughter who has been taken by a murderer convicted of killing three babies?"

"We have told you, we do not know where our son is. He left two days ago, he took most of his things and left. He won't contact us and he has changed his number. It was sudden. We don't know what brought it on" said Mr Harrison.

"Well if he gets in contact with you call me straight away" said Flack handing them his card. Mr and Mrs Harrison showed them out. "I don't know if they're lying or telling the truth" sighed Flack as they got back in the car.

"I think they may be telling the truth" said Danny.

Back at the precinct Flack did lots of paperwork and scoured through CCTV footage to find both Hayden Jackson who had Rose Harrison and Taylor Harrison who had given Hayden a gun. He ended up falling asleep at his desk. He was woken up by a hand touching his back. He almost jumped out of his skin. "Don't do that! I could've had a heart attack!"

"Long night?" smiled Jamie sitting down beside him

"Yeah. Leon should be alright he got through surgery ok" replied Flack straightening up "We found out who gave Hayden the gun though"

"Oh yeah?" she asked "Who?"

"Taylor Harrison" said Flack "But we have reason to believe he may have been threatened by Hayden in order for him to get the gun off him so he could shoot Leon Johnson.

"Is he in custody?" asked Jamie

"No he has vanished. His parents said he left home two days ago, taking most of his things with him and changed his mobile number. There is no way we're going be able to find him any time soon" replied Flack.

Flack soon received news that Leon was awake and talking, not to mention deeply concerned about his daughter. Flack and Jamie head straight over to the hospital to talk to. "Can you tell me what happened last night?"

"I had just put Rose to bed" he began "And there was a knock at the door. I left her room and answered the door. And I saw Hayden standing on the other side. He had the gun in his hand then. He didn't say anything he just pointed the gun at me and fired twice. I fell to the floor and he went into Rose's room. I tried to crawl after him but I was bleeding heavily. He came out with Rose in his arms. Then he stopped and said you bastard, I'm your brother and you betrayed me like that! So you're not ever going to see Rose again then he fired again and ran off"

"What was Rose wearing?" asked Jamie

"A yellow sleep suit with blue flowers on and a pink dressing gown" replied Leon "Have you found her?"

"No I'm afraid not" Flack shook his head "We have CCTV footage of Hayden leaving with her and we have units out searching for them as we speak. But we will do everything we can to find her and bring her home to you"

"Thanks" said Leon "I really love Rose. She is so much like Layla, she has her smile, her laugh and her eyes. I would do anything to get her back. Layla would want her with me and I want her back with me. She is my world"

"We will do everything we can" assured Jamie "And make sure he is put away so he can never get out". Leon nodded and they left.

Teams scoured the city looking for Hayden and little Rose but there was just no sign and with each passing day it became harder for everyone involved. Every time they had to call Leon to tell him they had not found her it got a little bit harder and he little by little got more distraught.


	13. Chapter 13: Breaking point

Please bear with me here. the first half of this chapter is seen the eyes of Leon Johnson, who cropped up earlier. i know it may not seem relevant but it is part of how the story works, as it is needed to show why one event spurs another or in other words sets off a chain reaction. Also it will only happen in this chapter.

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Chapter 13: Breaking Point

It had now been seven weeks since Rose had been kidnapped, kidnapped by his own brother. That was the worst kind of betrayal. Yes had been seeing Hayden's girlfriend by his back but he had been abusing her and he couldn't stand that. Yes he had been planning to run away with her and get married to her and welcome their daughter into the world. But they had loved each other, they were meant to be. If they hadn't he wouldn't have a beautiful daughter who he cherished and loved with all his heart. He missed her every day and now with Rose gone he felt like he had let her down. He had his new girlfriend Georgia and she was his rock, she had kept him going. She knew how much he missed Layla, she always had and she doted on little Rose. She knew wasn't replacing Layla, no one had a right to do that but she was like her mother and if she and Leon stayed together she would love her like a mother. It had been a tough few weeks but they had struggled through. He would go days without eating anything because he was so worried about her and would give anything to have her back in his arms. But Hayden hadn't so much as called him. He didn't seem to want to bargain with Rose, he just wanted her with him. The NYPD were doing everything they could to find her but some days it just didn't feel enough. Detective's Flack and Lovato were keeping him up to date with their progress but every time they told they hadn't found her in just felt like someone twisting the knife further in his gut.

But today everything would change… he was sitting on the sofa staring into space, Georgia was in the kitchen making them some dinner when there was a knock at the door. He pulled himself to his feet and went to open it. He pulled it open still looking at the floor and said "Yeah want do you want…" he looked up and tailed off "Rose!" he reached for her but Hayden moved her away from him.

"Can I come in?" asked Hayden calmly

"Yes" Leon replied, trying to stay calm. All he wanted to do was rip Hayden's head off and kill him. He went into the kitchen was "Call the police. He's here and he's got her"

"Ok" she nodded grabbing her phone in her hands and jabbing the numbers. "Police I need police. Hayden Jackson is in my apartment and he has Rose Harrison"

Leon went into the main room where Hayden was standing with Rose in his arms. Rose reached out towards Leon with her arms as if she wanted him to hold her. "Give me Rose" said Leon

"No. I just wanted you to say goodbye to her before we leave the country" smiled Hayden "We're going somewhere you'll never find us and I thought you should say goodbye to her"

"No. You're not going anywhere with her Hayden. She is my daughter and you are a fucking psycho!" snapped Leon, inside he snapped unable to take this pressure anymore.

"I'm not the one who shagged your girlfriend behind your back am I!" Hayden spat "YOU POISONED HER AGAISNT ME!"

"YOU DID THAT YOURSELF BY CONTROLLING HER LIFE, HER EVERY MOVE, BY BEATING HER UP AND TRYING TO RAPE HER WHEN SHE WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT!" Yelled Leon "DIIDNT YOU EVER WONDER WHY I WENT APESHIT ON YOU WHEN I PULLED YOU OFF HER. DIDN'T YOU EVER WONDER WHY I BEAT YOU UP YOU FUCKING MANIAC?! IT WAS BECAUSE I LOVED HER AND SHE WAS CARRYING MY BABY!"

"SHE WAS A TRATIOR AND SO ARE YOU!" Roared Hayden "MY OWN BROTHER. YOU DID EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE HER HATE ME AND THEN SHE WENT AND KILLED DAD!"

"BECAUSE HE BEAT HER UP. BECAUSE HE TRIED TO BLACKMAIL HER. BECAUSE HE TRIED TO SHOOT HER. HE TRIED TO KILL HER YOU FUCKING IDIOT. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SHE WAS FUCKING TERRIFIED!" Roared Leon.

"YOU GOT TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH ROSE AND I GOT NOTHIG!" Yelled Hayden "MY DAD IS DEAD, MY MUM IS PRISON!-"

"BECAUSE OF YOU. SHE TOOK THE WRAP FOR THE DRUGS YOU WERE FUCKING DEALING AND TOOK A SIX YEAR SENTENCE!" Leon raged cutting him off.

"A DETECTIVE MURDERED MY GIRLFRIEND!" Hayden howled. Rose burst into hysterical tears as the brother's screamed blue murder at each other.

"YEAH I KNOW. HE TOOK AWAY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. HE TOOK AWAY ROSES MOTHER. AND DOESN'T HE FUCKING KNOW IT!" Bellowed Leon "YOU'VE TRIED TO RUIN HIS FUCKING LIFE! YOU FUCKING BROKE INTO THEIR APARTMENT AND WRECKED EVERY FUCKING THING. YOU BEAT HIM UP WHEN YOU WERE IN CUSTODY. THEN YOU FUCKING GOADED HER INTO CHASING YOU AND YOU ATTACKED HER WHEN SHE WAS THIRTY WEEKS PREGNANT. YOU SICK FUCKER. YOU FRAMED ME FOR TAMPERING WITH HER BREAKS AND CAUSING HER TO CRASH HER CAR WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT! YOU SICK BASTARD. THEN YOU FUCKING KIDNAPPED HER AND SHOT HER TWICE IN THE CHEST! I HOPE HE FUCKING KILLS YOU!"

"BASTARD! YOU FUCKING SICK CUNT!" Howled Hayden

"IF I'M SICK THEN YOURE OFF THE FUCKING SCALE!" Roared Leon "HUH I HAVENT DONE ALL THE SICK TWISTED FUCKING THINGS YOU'VE DONE! I DIDN'T MURDER THREE PREGNANT GIRLS, CUT THEM OPEN, RIP THEIR BABIES OUT AND STAB THEM TO DEATH! I DIDN'T SENT PICTURES OF THEIR DEAD BODIES TO THAT DETECTIVE. NO THAT WAS YOU BECAUSE YOURE MESSED UP HAYDEN. SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN YOUR FUCKING HEAD AND IT MADE YOU A FUCKING MENTAL PSYCHOPATH. A MENTAL PYSCHOPATHIC SERIAL KILLER"

"I DID WHAT I DID TO PUNISH THE BASTARD WHO TOOK LAYLA AWAK FROM ME!" Shrieked Hayden "HE DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED!"

"MAYBE HE DID BUT NOT THAT WAY YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Said Leon, raging mad "THOSE GIRLS DID NOTHING WRONG AND YOU TOOK THEIR LIVES AND THEIR BABIES LIVES IN SICKEST WAY POSSIBLE. THEY LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOUR SICK DESIRE FOR REVENGE AND IT'S GOT TO STOP" Hayden stared at his brother. Could Leon finally make him see sense or did he just not give a flying fuck about the consequences of his actions?

"NO!" Bawled Hayden "I WON'T STOP NOT TILL HE'S DEAD. NOT TILL HIS GIRLFRIEND IS DEAD. NOT TILL HIS CHILDREN ARE DEAD IN HIS ARMS! NOT TILL I LEAVE WITH ROSE"

"HAYDEN YOU'VE GOT TO STOP!" Roared Leon

"NO!" Hayden spat.

"GIVE ME ROSE NOW OR I WILL KILL YOU!" Roared Leon

"YOURE NOT HAVING HER EVER!" Bellowed Hayden. Leon snapped and punched Hayden in the face so hard he staggered back and gave him enough time to grab Rose and run into the kitchen. He handed Rose to Georgia and went back to finish Hayden off. Hayden had staggered back to his feet and pulled the gun out of his Jacket. "NO YOU DON'T. THIS ENDS NOW!" Roared Leon charging at him. He knocked Hayden clean of his feet and the gun out of his hand. "LEAVE NOW AND DON'T COME BACK!" Hayden grabbed his gun and Leon grabbed his shirt and led him to the door and shoved him out. "IF YOU COME BACK I WILL KILL YOU AND THIS A PROMISE!"

Hayden spat at him before storming off. Leon slammed the door shut and slid down on it. It was over and he just hoped he wouldn't comeback.

Flack, Jamie and another colleague turned up at the apartment minutes later. "Where is he?" asked Flack

"He left" replied Leon "I threw him out"

"You should've kept him her and waited for us to arrive!" fumed Jamie, knowing now he was still on the loose and still a massive threat.

"I'm sorry I just wanted him out of my place. He brought Rose with him. She's in the kitchen with Georgia. She's fine" said Leon.

Jamie, Flack and their colleague left. Back at the precinct they received the most devastating news ever…

Hayden had raced across the city to finish his deadly dead. He arrived at the apartment block and slipped in after someone else. He went up to the apartment he was after and gently knocked on the door to mislead the occupant. The occupant in question was Samantha Flack…

Inside the apartment Sam was happily taking care of her little niece and nephew while their parents were working. They had been a joy and she liked having them over. This had brought her closer to her brother because they had rather fallen out over her drinking and unemployment problems but over the past few years they had started to get close again. Though her becoming a target of his stalker had pushed them apart briefly they were getting on ok again. She heard the doorbell ring and went to answer it leaving Jordan and Mikayla asleep in their pram. She opened the door and shrieked in horror when she saw who was standing on the other side. "You" she stammered before she could even try to shut the door he held the gun in his hand and fired twice at her. Clutching her stomach she fell to the floor. He stamped on her face and went inside. "No…" she pleaded "don't hurt them… my brother will kill you…"

But he didn't listen and stormed inside. Seeing them sleeping soundly in their pram he prepared the gun, they were never going to wake up. Without thinking he fired the gun twice before leaving. On the way out he stamped of Sam's face again and said "Remember this is your brother's fault and this is his punishment for killing my girlfriend"

"He did what he thought was right. Stop this please" tears rolled down her cheeks. He laughed and walked off.

Jamie and Flack had just arrived back at the precinct. There had been heavy traffic and it had taken ages. But in that short space of time someone had just rocked their world. Officer Mendez walked towards them as they walked into the office, he worn a forlorn expression on his face. They knew he had bad news. "We had a call out… to your sister's address" he began "She's been shot… and so have Mikayla and Jordan"

"No" Jamie trembled her whole body shaking "No"

"They're on their way to the hospital" continued Officer Mendez. "I'm so sorry"

Jamie and Flack drove the hospital as fast as they could, their hearts beating at a million miles an hour. Their babies had just been shot and they were hanging between life and death. For Flack it was even worse his sister too had been shot. Everything was falling apart again. They watched, their bodies trembling as the doctors raced to save Jordan and Mikayla. Things moved so slowly it felt like hours were passing than mere minutes. Soon a doctor came to speak to Flack "Samantha is very lucky to be alive right now. She is being taken to the OR now for surgery to remove the bullets and repair the damage"

"Ok" Flack nodded, he didn't know what else to say. The doctor walked away and Flack saw Samantha being wheeled out of the ER. His heart broke all over again. His sister was lying there hanging between life and death and he knew it was all his fault.

Soon two more doctors came to speak to Jamie and Flack. "They're both stable" said the first doctor, a female.

"Thankfully neither of them lost too much blood and the damage is easily repairable" said the second, a male. "We're going to send them up for surgery to remove the bullets and repair the damage."

Jamie and Flack nodded. "What are their chances?" Jamie asked quietly, her heart shattered into a billion pieces and only just holding herself together.

"Good" replied the first "If all goes well in the OR they should both make a full recovery" they nodded again and the doctors left them alone. They sat in the waiting area holding hands, neither saying a word just praying their babies would be ok and for Flack his sister too. The female doctor came over to them. "Jordan's operation went without any hiccups. He is fine and shall make a full recovery providing the amount of care is there. During Mikayla's operation there were a few hiccups. Her heart stopped four times and her brain was starved of oxygen for a significant amount of time. So she may be left with permanent brain damage but she should make a full recovery. They are both in ICU"

She led them to the twin's room and they sat down in between their incubators. Jamie put her hand in Mikayla's incubator and she wrapped her hand around Jamie's finger. Jordan did the same when Flack put his hand inside his incubator. They were going to be ok but flack blamed himself, this was all his fault and he hated himself for it. But Flack's heart was shattered even more when he received some devastating information. "Could you come outside?" asked the doctor who had been treating Sam. "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this… but your sister died during her operation."

"No" Flack collapsed on the chair beside him.

"Her heart stopped beating five times and she was bleeding out. They couldn't bring her back, there was too much pressure on her heart" explained the doctor "I'm so sorry for your loss." Flack watched him walk off before breaking down in angry, devastated tears, his sister was dead and it was all his fault. He blamed himself and the guilt was unbearable. Jamie saw through the window and came out. "Has something happened?" she asked quietly.

"Sam died" he sobbed "In the OR. Her heart gave out and she was bleeding too much. They couldn't save her"

Jamie hugged him tight. She comforted him. She may have been heartbroken over her babies being shot but seeing him this way broke her heart even more. He had lost his sister to a mistake. A careless mistake.

At the lab the CSI's were processing the evidence. Mac received the call from the doctor who had been treating Sam. "Mac Taylor speaking" said Mac

"_It's Dr Henderson from the hospital" replied the speaker. "I have news pertaining the shooting which took place earlier today"_

"Go on" Mac found himself taking a very deep breath. This could only be bad news. One of them was dead. Murdered by Hayden Jackson.

"_Samantha Flack died fifteen minutes ago" explained Dr Henderson "Due to significant blood loss and heart failure. We just couldn't save her"_

"Has Detective Flack been informed?" asked Mac. It was a shock and a nasty one. In all honesty he had expected her to pull through and one of the twins to pass on. He didn't think that in a cruel way it was just because they were so small and their bodies wouldn't be able to cope with such a significant trauma.

"_Yes I told him five minutes before I made this call" replied Dr Henderson "Their twins should be fine. They both came through surgery. One may have been left brain damaged but that cannot be confirmed yet"_

"Ok if you could have her body sent to our morgue for a post-mortem" said Mac "Thank you for informing me" he then ended the call. He looked out into his lab and sighed.

He called his colleagues to the main evidence review room. "Has something happened?" asked Hawkes

"Yes" mac nodded "Unfortunately… This case is now a murder investigation"

"What!" exclaimed Lindsay "No?"

"Samantha Flack died twenty minutes ago during surgery." Said mac. His heart going out to his close friend.

"We'll do everything we can to put this bastard behind bars" said Danny. The others nodded in agreement. And they did. They built a fantastic case. They had Hayden's fingerprints from Samantha's apartment, they had CCTV from her apartment building showing Hayden entering and exiting at the exact time of the shooting, they had the shell casings with Hayden's fingerprints on, and they had the bullets pulled from all three victims with Hayden's fingerprints on. But what they didn't have was Hayden in their custody so it was basically useless. But when they finally caught him it wouldn't be. He was going down and that was inevitable. So many people wanted to see him dead, even his own brother and he was going straight to death row when he was caught that was something everyone one was certain of. He had tried to ruin Flacks life, he done everything he could, but he had really hit the jackpot this time. Shooting his young twins and shooting his sister killing her. He may not have known it as he was now lapping up the glory watching as the details were released to the public by Mac, but he had completely ruined Flack. He had won.

And that was something a lot of people close to Flack knew because these people knew how much Sam meant to him. And a lot of people were very angry about it.


	14. Chapter 14 The Funeral of Samantha Flack

Chapter 14: The funeral of Samantha Flack

Flack tried to function but it was painful. He knew he had a duty of care to his twins but his heart was broken because he had been so close to Sam and she was dead, in his eyes, because of him. He had to tell his brothers, but he feared they too would blame him for her death. He shakily made the call to his eldest brother Joe who lived in Toronto _"Don what's going on? You haven't called in months" he asked answering the call._

"You need to come to New York… Sam's dead" said Flack, his voice shaking, still crying.

"_I'm on my way" replied Joe before slamming the phone down._

Flack then called his other brother Kane and told him Sam was dead. He too said he was coming straightaway before slamming the phone down.

By the next morning Joe and Kane had both arrived in New York and went straight to the precinct together. They told them Flack was still at the hospital so they went there. From there they were led to the paediatric unit. The nurse fetched Flack for them and brought him to the quiet room they were waiting in. "Don… what happened to her?" asked Joe

"She was shot" replied Flack "In the chest…"

"By who?" seethed Kane "Who murdered our baby sister?"

"Hayden Jackson" Flack looked down

"That son of a bitch!" hissed Joe "I thought he was locked up on the Death Row?"

"He was… but he escaped a couple of months ago… he didn't try anything on any of us. He didn't make any more threats… he just did that" said Flack trembling, his voice cracking.

"I'll kill him!" raged Kane "I'LL KILL HIM!" then room fell silent before the three brothers all broke down tears. They only had each other now.

Samantha's body was sent to the morgue where new corner Elsa Henrik carried out a forensic examination. It was hard having one of your colleague's and friend's relatives on the table, it was even harder when it was one of your own. She delicately carried out her examination before Mac came down to talk to her. "C.O.D?" asked Mac, though really it was obvious.

"The gunshots are a contributing factor to her death" began Elsa "But during surgery when they were trying to remove the second bullet the surgeon made a tear in one of her major arteries. The bullet was lodged and when he tore it out he accidentally made the hole a lot bigger. The blood flowed incredibly fast and at huge volume. The damage, because of the sheer volume of blood being pumped, was unrepairable to an unexperienced hand. Had the surgeon been more experienced she would've probably survived. But had that bullet not been there… well they would've have had to open her up in the first place."

"How do you know the surgeon wasn't very experienced?" asked Mac

"The surgeon, Alex Henrik, is my husband" sighed Elsa

"So her death is a result of a medical accident?" asked Mac

"No. As I said had that bullet not been there at all she wouldn't have been opened up in the first place" said Elsa, shaking her head "They only made the tear bigger. There would've been a hole when the bullet was removed anyway but the tear made it much bigger. Had it not been torn there only would've been a small amount of blood and the damage would've been much more repairable."

"So?" asked Mac "Homicide?"

"Yes. I'm ruling her death a homicide" sighed Elsa "He shot her and it led to her dying on the operating table. It was very unlikely she would've survived had she been found any later. The bullet was centimetres from her heart".

"Thank you" mac nodded.

"I feel for him" sighed Elsa, looking down at Samantha's body "I don't really know him that well. I only started here a few months ago. But he seems like a good guy. He doesn't deserve this"

"No. he doesn't" mac agreed also looking at Samantha's body laid out on the table. "But we've got the evidence to put Hayden Jackson away for life". She nodded then mac left and went back up to the lab.

The days passed and the brothers had to start making funeral arrangements. They had been allowed to see her body. They had all cried. Flack had been the last to leave. He'd clung to her hand and cried his heart out because he missed her so. All the things he loved about her were gone. Her laugh, her smile, her sense of humour and caring nature were all gone. All because of him.

Two weeks after Samantha had been murdered they held her funeral. They had respected her wishes that she be buried next to her mother and have hers and Flack's favourite childhood song 'Red Rain' by Peter Gabriel, played.

Flack's colleagues from the crime lab came to pay their respects including Mac, Danny, Lindsay, Adam, Hawkes and Jo. The twins had just come out of hospital and were still recovering, but they too were there. This was there auntie after all.

Flack, Joe, Kane, Danny, Mac and Adam carried her coffin into the church as they didn't have much family. All three of the brothers gave eulogies for their sister. But Flack's was probably the most moving. "She was my sister. And I loved her. I loved her with all my heart." Flack felt tears in his eyes and he couldn't hold them in. There was no point trying. "I may have disapproved of her lifestyle sometimes. I gave her such a hard time and now… I wish I hadn't. She was the best sister I could've wished for. She was by best friend. I wish we'd never fallen out, all those years… wasted. Now she's gone… my best friend is gone… and I feel like…" Flack was crying now, the words were so hard. "Like a part of me died with her… they say… they say it's the things you don't do… you don't do that you… you regret… it's the things I did do… did do… that I… I regret… and the hardest part is knowing I didn't get to say goodbye". He couldn't say anymore. He just broke down and cried in front of everyone something he was not known to do. None of them had ever seen cry that way and it was heart-breaking. After he had sat down again they played 'Red Rain' by Peter Gabriel. It made flack cry even more because it had been their favourite childhood song. He had loved watching her dance to it time and time again, even more so when they had danced to it together. Now he was never going watch her dance to it again.

Flack, Joe, Kane, Danny, Mac and Adam carried her coffin out of the church into the cemetery and her coffin was lowered into the grave above their mother's coffin. The priest said a few words before the three brothers each chucked a handful of dirt over the coffin. "Goodbye Sam" Flack whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. After the funeral the grave was piled with flowers and reefs. Her name had been added to their mother's gravestone and they had put a large reef spelling sister on top with her favourite teddy.

Joe and Kane soon returned home with their families. It had hit them all hard but it had hit Flack the worst and he was really not coping at all. Greif-stricken he started drinking heavily and his whole attitude changed. His outlook on life became incredibly dark and very negative not like his normal frame of mind. His state of mind mentally seemed to be tainted and was completely different person. Jamie's patience were wearing thin and in her eyes it looked like the road to the end.

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i know really short chapter. but it's all it needed to get this part across as it is vital to the events that follow.


	15. Chapter 15: End of the Road?

Two things

1. I was going to split this chapter in two but I have a lot of school work on so I left it as one

2. I do not own the song used within this chapter, "Wherever You Will Go' by Charlene Soraia.

Enjoy please R&R

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Chapter 15: End of the Road?

It had now been three and a half weeks since the shootings, three and a half weeks since Sam had died and three and a half weeks since the twins had almost died and just over a week since Sam's funeral. All of his friends had sent letters of condolence to him. But Flack had shut down inside. Emotionally he was broke, Sam's Death had sent him over the edge and pushed him to breaking point emotionally and psychologically. He had two brothers but he had been closet to her, always. And now she was dead because of him. His mistake had ended in her life and he wanted nothing more right now than to kill Hayden. And he wasn't the only one. His two brothers, Kane and Joe, were in pretty much the same boat. His brothers had both moved away from the city as they were much older, the last time he had seen one of them had been at their mother's funeral eight years ago. The other he hadn't seen in five years. Now it was just them and right now he probably needed them. One lived in California, the other in Toronto. They had come straightaway when he had told them Sam was dead and now they had gone home again. He felt lost. He wasn't the Flack everyone knew and loved any more.

Usually he was a very tough guy, who rarely let his emotions get the better of him. He was as tough as boots and he never let anything break him but this time his emotions had won. His heart was broken and nothing anyone said to him made him feel any better. And he was shutting everyone out, pushing the people he probably needed most, away from him. He had put up a wall, a wall not even Jamie could break. He didn't want to let anyone in or let them know how he was feeling, he wanted to be alone. He had started drinking lots and had become completely unsociable. The last time this had happened had been five years before when Jessica Angell had died. He had been with her and it had sent him off the rails. He had straightened up again and become the old Flack again but now he seemed to be going back to that. And this was having a massive impact on his relationship with Jamie. The strain was enormous. The twins had been for home a week and a half now and things between Jamie and Flack were going from bad to worse. They were constantly arguing and couldn't agree on a single thing. Flack, because he was drinking excessively, was often drunk and very argumentative. But it wasn't exactly that pissed Jamie off it was the fact that he wouldn't open up to her and tell her how he was feeling. She got that he missed Sam and the felt guilty about and blamed himself for her death but they had twins who needed their father in their lives. She couldn't cope with his attitude, he was pushing her to breaking point and that was somewhere she didn't want to be. Not with eleven month old twins. She loved him like anything but he was just pushing her away, he'd clearly reached breaking point now. He had been depressed and grief-stricken before the funeral now he was even worse. And he was hell bent on killing Hayden in revenge for him shooting the twins and killing Sam.

Two more weeks passed and he remained closed off and often in a drunken stupor. Jamie was both frustrated by him and worried about him and the fact he was so closed off. They hadn't had a day in the last three weeks when they hadn't had an argument. He was so bad tempered and his moods swings were unpredictable. It was all becoming just too much and she was reaching breaking point too. She went for a coffee with Danny and Lindsay to talk to them. "I don't know what to do any more" she admitted "He won't talk to me. He's pushing me away and I can't take it. I'm so stressed out and he's just making it worse. I love him god I do but he's pushing me to breaking point. He's drinking too much. We're arguing all the time and he barely interacts with the twins. It feels like we've reached the end of the road."

"Maybe you need some time apart" said Lindsay "His head is probably all over the place. Yours must be too but he lost his sister too and he's blaming himself"

"He is. It isn't his fault. I've told him that but he won't listen" sighed Jamie "He's not coping with it at all. He's just shut down inside and put all these barriers so people can't get in. he won't let me in and that's the hardest part. Harder than him drinking so much, harder than him being argumentative with me."

"You need to give him space. Let him deal with it. Or if he decides not to deal with it in a decent way show him you mean business" said Danny. Jamie thought, maybe time apart was what they needed.

"I don't know. It will look a bit cruel. His sister was murdered and I'm trying to get him to be rational" said Jamie

"You've got to think about the twins. You don't want him drunk around them. You don't know what could happen" sighed Lindsay

"He wouldn't hurt them" Jamie shook her head "But I do worry about it". Her head whirled but they were right. They needed time apart. Flack really needed space, his head was all over the place. May some time apart would help him, he might start to get himself together and stop drinking.

When she got home that night the wallet their wedding information was in was sat on the table next to Flack's laptop. Concerned she opened it up and found emails to the reception venue, the people who were doing the food and the people who were doing her dress telling them they'd cancelled their wedding. There were replies too, all confirming they could have their money back and that it wasn't too much hassle that they'd cancelled and further replies saying they'd accept the refunds. She made phone calls to people and found out that everything had been cancelled. She broke down in tears and cried her heart out, she knew two things now. 1) Being they definitely needed time apart, 2) That they had reached the end of the road and 3) She too had reached breaking point. Jamie was both furious and devastated. Why the hell would he do this? She thought he loved her but surely if he did he wouldn't have done this. She was burning with anger and pure betrayal. She bubbled while she waited for him to get home…

Soon she heard the key turn in the lock and rose from the sofa. Seeing him see just snapped. She walked over to him and just tore into him "YOU BASTARD!" She exploded, before slapping round the face in absolute blind rage "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"What?!" he frowned "What are you talking about?"

"YOU CANCELLED ALL OF OUR WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS!" She yelled

"No I didn't" he replied, for the first time in days he was completely sober.

"YES YOU DID I SAW THE EMAILS ON YOUR LAPTOP!" She raged "SO DON'T LIE TO ME"

"I'm not" he insisted "I haven't cancelled anything"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" She shouted

"I'M NOT!" he roared "I HAVE BEEN AT WORK ALL DAY. AND I WOULDN'T CANCEL ANYTHING BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MARRY YOU. I LOVE YOU"

"YOU HAVE A FUNNY WAY OF SHOWING IT!" She snapped "ALL YOU'VE DONE IS SHUT ME OUT AND GET PISSED!"

"MY SISTER DIED" He spat

"YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO NEED YOU" Shouted Jamie "STOP DEPRIVING THEM!"

"I'M NOT!" he raged "I LOVE THEM"

"YOU NEARLY GOT THEM KILLED!" She roared, before realising what she had said. She wished she could take it straight back but she couldn't and he was going to hate her for that. She didn't think that, of course she didn't it was just something she had said in the heat of the moment. And she regretted it. She regretted with every fibre of her being.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He exploded. "I NEVER MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH. YOU SHUT ME OUT, YOU WONT TALK TO ME AND YOUR DRINKING IS TOO MUCH. JUST DROP THE WALLS AND LET YOURSELF GRIEVE AND STOP BLAMING YOURSELF"

"IT IS MY FAULT. IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" he raged. Jamie looked at him and her heart tugged. She had to do something. It was time apart they needed. To clear their heads and fix things. Something they couldn't do when they were constantly under each other's feet.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" She yelled "OF YOU. OF YOUR DRINKING. OF YOUR MOOD SWINGS. OF YOUR ATTITUDE!"

"I'VE HIT BREAKING POINT!" He yelled back, finally admitted to her he was at breaking point "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. I'VE PUT YOU ALL IN DANGER AND I CAN'T LIVE WITH IT ANY LONGER. I BLAME MYSELF FOR THE TWINS GETTING SHOT, FOR SAM DYING, FOR HIM TRYING TO KILL YOU."

"I WHEN WILL YOU GET IT INTO YOUR FUCKING HEAD. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!" She raged. She looked into his eyes, he really did believe it was his fault "YOU KNOW MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEAVE AND NOT COMEBACK FOR A WHILE."

"WHAT?!" He roared

"Maybe we should spend some time apart" she sighed

"Are you throwing me out?" he asked angrily.

"No we just need to take some time to clear our heads and look at this" she explained "See where we're headed"

"Fine. I'll pack some things and go" he snapped. And that's what he did. He packed a bag and headed off. On his way he bought a few bottles of alcohol and downed one as he walked. He ended up getting into a fight with a homeless man before moving on and checking into a motel. But neither could sleep. For Jamie the bed felt empty without him beside him and she missed feeling his breath on her neck. She just lay there staring at the darkness. Flack was missing her warmth, the bed felt cold without her beside him and he missed the way her hair tickled his nose. So he too lay staring into the darkness. They already missed each other.

The following day knowing he hadn't cancelled all of their wedding arrangements, Flack collected tapes from their building for their floor and asked Danny to lift prints from his laptop and the wedding information. And the results were startling and spine chilling. Because Danny found prints belonging to Hayden and found footage of him entering their apartment while they had all been out. And he seemed to have a key to let himself in with. Where the hell had he gotten that? He could get in there any time and do anything he wanted. "Is he letting himself with a key?!" exclaimed Danny.

"Zoom in on that" said Flack, a homicidal rage flying through the veins, next to the alcohol he had consumed. "He has a fucking key!"

"How would he get that?" asked Danny

"We have a spare set… there is a spare set by the door in the apartment" said Flack "But they were still there last night. My keys were next to them!"

"So he broke in before, picked the lock stole the key, had a copy made then put them back?" Danny hypothesized

"I'm going to kill him" raged Flack. He was furious, it accelerated his desire to kill Hayden Jackson by a thousand times. He went back to his precinct barely able to contain his wrath, it was taking every ounce of his self-restraint to stop himself from hurting someone. He saw Jamie and pulled her aside. "I didn't cancel our wedding" he snapped

"Well then who did?" she snapped back

"Hayden" replied Flack "Check with Danny if you don't believe me. He is on the CCTV and his fingerprints are all over my laptop. He has a key for the bloody apartment!"

"WHAT!" She exploded "He has a key to the apartment! How?!"

"He must've picked the lock ages ago and stolen the spare set and made a copy of them then put them back" said Flack, still raging mad.

"I'm dead, we're dead" she muttered as she walked off in a hurry. He watched her walk away, he had heard her mutterings and deep down he knew she was right.

Jamie was absolutely furious. That sick, twisted psychopath had a key; he could get into her home at any time he wanted to and hurt them. She had two young children, one who may be brain damaged because of that very person. She had to protect them yet she couldn't because was two steps behind and that frustrated her but it made her worry even more than anything else in the whole world. They were her whole world. He could do as he pleased and she was powerless to stop him. And she felt incredibly homicidal.

They still saw each other at work but kept their differences and their boss saw they worked completely different cases as Jamie had informed of their current domestic situation. But they both missed each other like crazy. Jamie had ended things because she had been so angry but she regretted it so much. Especially she now knew Flack had not cancelled their wedding at all but Hayden had.

Two weeks later it was the twins first birthday and Jamie had a family gathering with just close family. Just her parents, her brothers and their children. Flack came round after they had left but only stay for a short time as the situation was very awkward. Jamie stayed in the other room most of the time he was there. He wasn't sober, she could tell but he deserved to see his children and they were thrilled to see him. They jumped all over him and hugged him tightly. Mikayla even cried when he left but he told them both he loved them very much and wanted to mend things with Jamie when she hadn't been in the room.

Her heart ached for him every day and she knew she had to tell him this. She wanted him back in her life and never out of it again. She needed him more now than ever and she wanted things to work so much. She knew she had made a huge mistake in kicking him out and was determined to sort it out. The twins needed him in their lives all the time not shared access or when he could make it. Hayden had finally torn them apart and he had won and Jamie knew she couldn't let him win. She was doing her best by the twins and her boss had reduced her hours on par with her currently being a single mom. But everything was gone and she wanted it back.

One day while Flack was out of the precinct he saw someone he recognised. He had spotted Taylor Harrison and he gave chase. He chased him through the subway and into the men's toilets. "WHY'D YOU GIVE HAYDEN THE GUN?" He raged pinning Taylor up against the wall by his neck.

"I didn't!" replied Taylor

"YES YOU DID! YOU BASTARD YOU SUPPLIED HIM WITH THE GUN THAT NEARLY KILLED YOUR NIECES FATHER!" Roared Flack, first going with family knowing that might break him more easily.

"I didn't supply him with a gun!" lied Taylor

"YOU SUPPLIED THE GUN HE USED TO SHOOT MY CHILDREN. THEY WERE ELEVEN MONTHS OLD! ONE OF THEM MIGHT BE BRAIN DAMAGED!" Flack roared, he didn't care if he was hurting Taylor. The gun this boy had given someone had killed his sister, almost killed both his children and may have left one of them brain damaged.

"I DIDN'T GIVE HAYDEN A GUN!" Raged Taylor

"YES YOU DID!" Flack exploded. The gun that had killed Sam, he wanted revenge for her death more than anything else. "YOU GAVE HIM THE GUN HE USED TO MURDER MY SISTER!"

"He made me!" said Taylor, clearly Flack telling him the gun he had given Hayden had been used to kill someone had changed his mind about keeping quiet. "He threatened me. He said if I didn't give him the gun he was going to kill Rose, then he was going to kill me, then my mom and dad. I couldn't risk it. I didn't know he was going to hurt your family"

"YOU BASTARD!" Flack raged before punching Taylor in the face. So hard his nose and lip started to bleed.

"I'm sorry" said Taylor "I should never have given into him… that's why I left the city… two days before Leon was shot"

Flack though absolutely furious didn't have the energy to beat him up despite the fact he wanted to. He deserved to die in Flack's eyes right now. After all he had supplied the gun that had killed his sister and nearly killed his children. He let him go before sinking down to the floor and downing half a bottle of whisky. His life had fallen apart and he needed to get himself together. He needed to stop feeling sorry for his own arse and mend things, repair some of the damage.

_So lately, been wondering_

_Who will be there to take my place_

_When I'm gone, you'll need love_

_To light the shadows on your face_

_If a great wave shall fall_

_It would fall upon us all_

_And between the sand and stone_

_Could you make it on your own?_

He was determined to show her he could change and be the man she wanted him to be. He had seen the twins a few times, at her brother's apartment when she hadn't been there but he still missed them like crazy. He missed her like anything. One night when he went to see the twins at her mom's apartment Nathan was there. As he played with Mikayla and Jordan Nathan said "Jamie loves you, you do know that"

"Yes" Flack nodded "And I love her with all my heart"

"She only threw you out because she was angry" said Nathan "She was at breaking point"

"I know" Flack looked down "It was my own fault. For being such an idiot."

"Your sister's death hit you hard" said Nathan "If Jamie died I would be devastated. I'd cry for days. She doesn't know that but I would. I totally understand why you're feeling low. It was a massive blow. She didn't deserve it"

"No she didn't" replied Flack "I'm never to get over losing her that way. There's no way I can. She was my best friend and he murdered her to get back at me"

Eventually he said goodnight to Mikayla and Jordan before leaving and headed back to the motel he was staying in. he stared at the bottles of alcohol of the table, some of them open, some full but most were empty. He wanted to drink but his love for his children and for Jamie overpowered that urge. He picked up the bottles, stuffed them in a bag, left the room and chucked them all in the bin. Every last one of them. It felt good.

_If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I will go wherever you will go _

_And maybe I'll work out _

_A way to make it back someday_

_Towards you, to guide you_

_Through the darkest of your days_

She was the love of his life and he needed her back. But her kicking him out had helped him, it had made him see reason and it had given the kick up the backside he needed to stop drinking. He wanted her back so he decided to confront his demons head on and speak to a counsellor who helped him talk about the stalking and Sam's death and about his drinking. He had started to cut his alcohol intake down every day and was talking on a weekly basis to a therapist who specialised in grief counselling and drink addictions. To her he opened up about everything, Sam's death, the stalking, and the attempted murders of Jamie, Mikayla and Jordan. She showed him others way to deal with his pain, instead of drinking allowing those close to be supportive, to let them in and to talk with them instead of bottling it all up. And it worked, it really helped.

_If a great wave shall fall_

_It would fall upon us all_

_Well I hope there's someone out there_

_Who can bring me back to you_

Alone Jamie sorted her own head out. She spent as much time as she could with Mikayla and Jordan, showering with them with her unconditional love. The space definitely helped her come to terms with what happened to the twins. It also gave her room to think about herself a bit but it did help her try to understand Flack's emotions, his unconditional guilt over his sister's death. It gave her time to deal with her emotions pertaining Mikayla and Jordan being shot, someone cancelling all their wedding plans and her relationship with Flack. She was out for revenge on Hayden, when and if she came face to face with him she wouldn't even have to think about it. She would shoot him. Even in cold blood, he had tried to kill her babies. Her innocent vulnerable babies. He wasn't getting away with it. Not in a million years. He deserved to die a slow and painful death. She too decided she needed to talk to someone, a third party. So she decided to have some counselling to talk through her issues and it helped, it just gave her an outlet where she could vent her problems and talk to someone who would really listen.

_If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I will go wherever you will go_

Three months slid by slowly and they missed each other so much it was unbearable. Flack, missing her and the twins like mad, suggested they should meet up for coffee to talk. He wanted to tell her he loved her, to tell her how much she and the twins meant to him and to show her he was turning himself around.

_Run away with my heart_

_Run away with my hope_

_Run away with my love_

Two days after Flack had suggested they meet up for coffee they grabbed a coffee from Starbucks and found a bench. She confessed how much she was missing him and he confessed how much he was missing her. She told how much Jordan and Mikayla missed, that they needed him back. He told her about the counselling sessions and reducing his alcohol intake. "I can be the man you want me to be. Just let me show you" he pleaded with her.

"I will" she nodded eventually. She had to give him a chance and somehow she knew he could and would prove that he could be the man she wanted him to be.

He saw the twins more and more and the more he saw them the more determined he became to become sober permanently. He didn't want to lose them again, he couldn't take that chance. And he was slowly reducing his daily alcohol intake towards his target of zero meaning he would be totally sober. Jamie was thrilled because the willpower it must be taking him to do it in his current state of mind must be incredible. This was him showing her he could be the man she wanted to be and she was ready to let him back into her life completely. She and his children were his ammunition to get sober again and be there for them, so they could be a family again.

_I know now, just quite how_

_My life and love might still go on_

_In your, in your mind_

_I'll stay with you for all of time_

They started meeting up more during the day for a coffee as meeting at night was too risky for Flack who was on the road to recovery from his brief stint of alcoholism. Sometimes just in their apartment and after a month they talked about getting back together. Eventually they were officially an item again. They were doing everything they could show the other they loved each other and wanted things to work out.

She allowed him to attend a doctor's appointment for Mikayla and Jordan to determine either of them had been brain damaged. He ran a series of tests and scans then sent them off for analysis. He called back the following week to discuss the findings. "Jordan's brain is fully functioning and he is not brain damaged whatsoever" he explained. Jamie and Flack sighed with relief. "But unfortunately Mikayla's brain isn't undamaged. Because her heart stopped four times and her brain was starved of oxygen for a period of time. It is only minor. She should learn to walk and talk as normal children but she will reach these milestones significantly later than others and she will have learning difficulties that if, given the proper help at school and at home shouldn't stop her from leading a normal life. She could well go to college and university, have a successful job and everything else other adults have. She will just need much more support to get it"

Jamie and Flack gulped. That was hard news to swallow. Flack's stalker had left one of their toddlers brain damaged. That made Flack burn with guilt and caused him to drink excessively again but he soon saw his daughter needed and managed to kick it and get back to getting sober for their sake if no one else's.

_If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I will go wherever you will go_

After two months they started having sex together again. Something which they hadn't done since the twins had been shot and Sam had been brutally murdered. Things were slowly getting back on track. Jamie knew he was clearing up his act but she also understood now more than before the extent of his grief over his sister's murder. She wanted to be with him, she wanted things to be the way they had been before she had gotten pregnant. Them to be happy, not arguing and not agreeing on a single thing, them to be comfortable and loved up. She didn't mean by that, that she didn't want Mikayla and Jordan it was just that after she had found out she was pregnant everything had been turned upside down. Not because of them but because of a mistake which their father had made in a moment of madness. Back then, before she had been pregnant no one had been stalking them, taunting them, laughing at them, trying to kill them. Things had been safe and comfortable, she wanted things to be that way again. Then one night when he came round he had good news for her, something he was certain she'd be pleased about. "I haven't touch a drop alcohol in a week"

"That's fantastic!" she smiled hugging him tightly before kissing him on the lips. She was proud of him for doing it, for getting sober. She had noticed the change over the last few weeks and it had been brilliant. Now he was sober she hoped he would stay that way. Finally after three months Jamie agreed he should move back in and work on everything. Flack was now completely sober and hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in nearly a month. So Flack moved back in and Jordan and Mikayla were ecstatic to have their daddy back home with them and showed him so by climbing all over him, jumping all over him and giving him big warm cuddles. Things from there started to look up though Hayden was still on the loose and was still a threat they had each other again, they could support each other. Hayden may have broken them briefly but now they were stronger than ever and determined he would not win his vendetta against Flack.

_If I could make you mine_

_I'll go wherever you will go _

_If I could turn back time _

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

And for that one moment everything was perfect. Then that moment ended.


	16. Chapter 16: The End Game

Chapter 16: The End Game

It had been six months Jamie had allowed Flack to move back and he had stuck to his word that he wouldn't drink. He was staying sober for his children, to prove his dedication to them and to her. Everything had been going much better. The time apart had both done them good and they knew now they had definitely needed. If they hadn't they would've ended up either killing each other or splitting up and not reconciling. Jordan and Mikayla were coming on in leaps and bounds. Jordan was now toddling around, causing as much mischief as he possibly could and could even say a few basic words like mum, dad and ducky (his bath toy). He was going to be a troublemaker when he was older, that everyone was certain of. Mikayla was significantly behind in her development but that was understood since Hayden had brain damaged her. She could crawl around but she couldn't walk, every time she tried she would fall over and hurt herself. She could only say one word and that was buddy (the name of her cuddly bear which slept with) and that was in a somewhat slurred fashion. Jamie and Flack supported her though, they didn't intend on ever giving up on her. She had still defied the doctor's prediction that she wouldn't say her first word before she was three. They were very proud of her, of both of them. Being shot hadn't any effect on Jordan's hyperactive tendencies, he was still a massive bundle of energy and he just put his best foot forward and developed like any other toddler.

Now they were about to turn two. Unlike their first birthday they were having a slightly bigger party. They had invited their friend's from the crime lab and few of Mikayla and Jordan's friends from the day care centre too. They just wanted to celebrate it properly this time and show people they were a family unit. They day was fantastic. Jordan spent most of his time ripping the wrapping paper up and trying to eat it. Jamie lost count of the amount of times she'd had to take a piece away from his mouth. Mikayla spent most of the day trying to cling to anyone who held her.

The days following were peaceful and then Jamie and Flack stumbled onto a subject that had been wrecked twice before. This time Flack was determined to see it through to the end. He was going to ask her to marry him again. He had cooked for her while she had been at work as he had the day off. He cooked her favourite and set the table with candles. He put the twins to bed so they wouldn't be interrupted. They had gone down better than he'd expected. Especially Jordan who had spent the whole day climbing all over everything including the kitchen units and had been jumping around like a drug addict. He had probably tired himself out after all the climbing and jumping he had been doing. He waited for Jamie to get home. Soon she arrived home.

Jamie reached their apartment and the smell of her favourite food wafted up her nostrils and enticed her in. she unlocked the door and her heart melted when she saw the candlelit table. It looked so perfect. She smiled from ear to ear when Flack walked into the room. "What brought this on?"

"Oh you know" he smiled "You"

"What about me?" she asked walking over to him.

"Just you" he smiled. She sat down on one side of the table while he dished up. Then sat down opposite her and they started to eat. "It's wonderful" she smiled

"Thanks" he replied

"Quiet day?" she asked.

"No" he laughed "Jordan has been climbing on everything. Including the kitchen counters. He hasn't stopped jumping about since you left. He's been driving me stir crazy!"

"That just his way of telling you he loves you" smiled Jamie

"I wish he could do it without breaking everything and hurting himself" said Flack "Mikayla even slapped him round the face when he started jumping up and down next to her while she was on her mat. He sulked for ages after that"

"He likes to milk things doesn't he!" she laughed "He is going to be a right tearaway teen"

"Please. I don't want to think about those years yet!" he shook his head. She laughed even more. They had come a long way and they were still holding on. After they had eaten Flack delved in his pocket and found the ring. Smiling he went down on one knee, holding the ring in his hands and asked "Will you marry me?"

She stared at him in total shock. She was speechless, she really hadn't been expecting this! "I love you Jamie. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I made mistakes, huge ones. But I've changed. For you, for Mikayla and Jordan. I love you. So will you marry me?"

She blinked, but her heart knew what the answer was. She knew she wanted to say yes and that's exactly what she said "Yes!" she cried as he stood up and threw his arms around her. They kissed passionately. He slipped the ring on her finger and they kissed again; even more passionately.

Just a week later Flack received a call from the groundskeeper at the cemetery where his mother and sister were both buried. "_I'm afraid your mother and sister's grave has been vandalised"_

"WHAT!" Raged Flack startling everyone in the office. Before saying anything else he slammed the phone down. "What is it?" asked Jamie

"That was the groundskeeper at the cemetery where Sam and mom are buried" replied Flack "Their grave has been vandalised"

"That's disgusting!" said Jamie

"I'm going over now. I'm going kill whoever did it!" he seethed grabbing his car keys. Jamie sighed watching him walking off. "Three guesses who did it" said Officer Mendez

"Don't" Jamie shook his head "But I wouldn't put it past him. He did kill Sam after all why wouldn't he trash her grave. He knows how important it is to Don"

Flack drove over to the cemetery as fast as he could without breaking any legal speed limits. When he got there he rushed to Sam and his mom's grave where Danny and Lindsay were collecting evidence. His heart broke when he saw what someone had done to it. He was furious, he felt incredibly homicidal right now. It didn't take him long to work out who had done it as they had sprayed "I told you I would get you" on the head stone. Hayden Jackson had vandalised his mom's and sister's grave, that made him feel so angry, so incredibly homicidal. He had spray painted the headstone, ripped all the flowers up then stamped on them, smashed up the picture left by the headstone and smashed up the vase the flowers had been in. he was the sickest person he had ever known. And as a homicide detective he had met some pretty messed up people in his time. Had it not been enough to kill her, destroying him emotionally, sending him down the path of excessive drinking and led to him temporarily wrecking his relationship with Jamie and the twins whom he had brain damaged. Had it not been enough for Hayden to attempt to kill Jamie three times, shoot both his children, shoot Leon, kidnap a child and murder his sister? Had none of that been punishment enough? Flack had felt the consequences of shooting Layla more than anyone else and he was still feeling them? Was this bastard ever going to leave him alone? Flack seriously doubted it.

"This was left on top of the headstone" said Danny handing Flack an envelope. Flack put some gloves on and opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper. He read the message scribbled on it:

_Detective Flack _

_Meet at the abandoned wolf & son's warehouse on the west docks._

_We can talk there _

_Perhaps sort this little problem out_

_Tonight 8:30_

_DON'T BE LATE_

_Yours Hayden Jackson_

Flack felt a homicidal rage flying through his veins. He wanted to tear this letter up and stamp on it. But this was evidence and he managed to stop himself from doing so. He wanted to rip Hayden's head off and feed it to the dogs down at the local kennel. He wanted him dead. He was going tonight and he was going to end it once and for all.

He sat down with his boss, Lieutenant Best to discuss their next move. "I'm going and I'm going to end it tonight" he insisted.

"If you're going to do this you're wearing a wire. I want everything recorded so we can the best case if worst case scenario happens and you get taken to court" said their boss Lieutenant Best

"He is a raving mad, psychotic murderer. No one will blink an eye if he is killed by me!" Flack raged shaking his head. His boss's negative attitude annoyed him, most people he knew wanted Hayden dead. No one would care because there was no one out there who gave a crap about him. And that's when it hit Flack like a ton of bricks. Hayden had nothing, no one who loved him. His own brother hated him, his mother though in prison after taking the rap for him for a drugs charge, hated him, his father hadn't liked him when he had been alive now he was dead, and Layla had stopped loving him and had, had another man's baby, his brothers. He was screaming at the world for attention and he had it. Everyone was looking for him, he had murdered nine people, tried to kill five people and had escaped from prison three times. He had their undivided attention. He was getting everything he wanted. And flack, well he was determined to put a stop to that. He'd had enough of watching his shadow, of being scared not only for himself but for his young twins, of constantly worrying about what could happen in the blink of an eye and of always being one step behind. He was going to end it once and for all. By sticking a bullet in Hayden's brain.

"I still want it on file" said Lt. Best "And you're not going on your own"

"I want it to be me and him. No one else is getting hurt. Not by him" replied Flack, he was right. He knew if he took others with him there would be fatalities among them and he couldn't take that risk.

"You are not going alone" insisted Lt. Best "You can take four officers as back up. They will wait outside. If anything kicks off they will come in and end it… And Detective Lovato is not coming with you."

"I don't want her to. I love her and if I took her he would kill her on the spot" replied Flack, why would he ever consider taking her? He wanted to protect her and allowing her to come seemed like signing her death warrant. It was a stupid thing for Lt. Best to have said.

"So we're clear?" asked Lt. Best.

"Fine" said Flack "But if they get hurt it will be on your head not mine and don't say I didn't warn you." Flack rose to his feet and left Lt. Best's officer, finally knowing tonight he was going end this. He spoke to Jamie and told her about the letter, the meeting and what they were planning on doing. "I'm going to put a bullet in his skull" said Flack "It will be over then"

"Yes it will. I can't wait for this to end" she replied "He'll die instantly. I just want him gone so we can get on with our lives. Not having to constantly watch our shadows and fear for our children's lives." She seemed relieved that tonight their hell might finally be over.

At seven they both went home. They had something to eat then they got Mikayla and Jordan ready for bed. Mikayla clung to his shirt as he tried to lay her down, when he tried to prise her hands off she held tighter and starting bawling. She didn't want him to go, to leave her. "Come on mikie daddy has to go back to work and get rid of the bad man who tried to kill you." He tried to put her down again but she screamed harder. Jordan was stood in his cot holding onto the railing watching in amusement. "It's time to go to sleep. Come on mikie I really do have to go work. I'm going to stop the bad man from hurting you again." He tried to put her down again but she clung even tighter and screamed her head off.

"NO!" She bawled. She had said no! No one had expected that from her. She was clingy yes but never this clingy. Eventually Flack managed to prise her from him with Jamie's help and laid her down it her cot. She still cried.

They switched the light off and left the room, silently closing the door behind them. "Good luck" she smiled "Hope this ends tonight"

"It will" he replied. She threw her arms around him and held him tight. "Love you" she said.

"And love you" he smiled kissing the top of her head. She kissed him passionately on the lips before pulling away. She saw him out the door and said goodbye "Goodbye!" she smiled, though a bucket of nerves. Would he finally end it? She had said to goodbye not knowing it may well be her last. Not knowing her life was to be turned upside down once more. She just didn't know what Hayden had in store for Flack and that was both their downfalls. If only she'd have known what he had planned. If only he'd known then maybe he wouldn't have gone…

Flack went back to the precinct and briefed his officers. Finally they headed to the warehouse on the docks. They were completely unprepared for what was about to happen. "You four wait out here. If he starts shooting I don't want fatalities. If I need back-up I'll give the signal is that clear?"

"Yes" they replied in unison. Flack nodded and pulled his gun out of his belt and held it his hands ready to fire. He had no intentions of talking to Hayden, he was putting a bullet in his skull then leaving. Then he would be done, his family would be safe from him forever. He pushed open the door and went inside. "Hayden?!" he called out "HAYDEN!"

"Keep walking" a voice slithered into his ear. He spun round but there was no on there. So where had that come through. "Just keep walking straight head". He looked around again and spotted speakers in the corners of the room. Hayden wasn't there he was speaking via speakers. He'd never had any intentions of showing up, he just wanted to play with Flack a bit more, push him a bit further towards breaking point. "I said keep walking". So he did. He walked deeper into the building until Hayden told him to stop. As he stood in the middle of the room the door slammed shut. Flack ran over and tried to open it but it was deadlock sealed. "YOU SON OF A BITCH OPEN THAT DOOR NOW!"

"No!" Hayden laughed

"What do you want?" snarled Flack, speaking to thin air was the most frustrating thing he could've imagined of this night. All he had wanted to do was to turn up here tonight and stick a bullet in Hayden's brain.

"For you to pay" said Hayden

"I have paid!" snapped Flack "You did it. You pushed me over the edge! You murdered my sister in cold blood, you tried to kill my girlfriend three times when she was pregnant, you tried to kill my children, and one of them is permanently brain damaged!"

"Good" laughed Hayden "You deserve that!"

"SHE WASN'T EVEN ONE YOU SICK TWISTED BASTARD!" raged Flack

"I bet that messed you up!" said Hayden

"Yeah it did. I turned to alcohol, my girlfriend kicked me out. That is punishment enough! This has got to stop!" snapped Flack "They've suffered enough! Stop this. For their sake if no one else's!"

"Not till you're dead!" retorted Hayden

"Then I'm going to be waiting a damn long time!" shouted Flack "Why don't you come in here and face me like a man!"

"I don't need to be there to kill you" said Hayden

"Even if you do kill me there is a queue of people lined up ready to do just the same to you!" retorted Flack "Everyone wants you dead. You're nothing to anyone. No one gives a damn about you. No one will stick up for you. No defence lawyer will take your case. The amount of evidence we have against you is ridiculous! You're done for you bastard. If you kill me and you get sent back to prison. Well you're fucked aren't you? No one likes someone who hurts children, especially the way you did! You'll be murdered in prison! I hope it's fucking slow and absolutely fucking excruciating!"

"YOU SICK FUCKER!" Roared Hayden

"YOU'RE CALLING ME SICK!" Roared Flack "I'M NOT THE ONE WHO TRASHED YOUR MOMS AND SISTERS GRAVE AM I? NO I'M NOT THAT WAS YOU! YOU SHOT TWO BABIES AND TRASHED THE GRAVE OF THE WOMAN YOU MURDERED! SO COME ON. COME IN HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

"And let you kill me? I don't think so!" sniggered Hayden

"Are you not man enough to take me on face to face?" taunted Flack "Is your confidence all just for show? This bravado all just for show? You're just a scared little boy screaming at the world for attention"

"Stop" said Hayden

"No one has ever loved you have they? Your dad hated your guts! Your mom was probably the only person who did. She went to prison for you. She's appealing her conviction, she'll probably get released soon. Leon hates you, he can't stand the sight of you. He hasn't been able to for years. Layla she didn't love you" Flack goaded, knowing he was getting under Hayden's skin and he didn't care. It felt damn good to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"Stop" Hayden repeated becoming agitated

"Layla hated your guts too" Flack continued provocatively "She was doing your brother behind your back. She was pregnant with his baby. She had his baby! Your brother is raising their daughter. She was running away to Vegas with him to get married and start a new life together. They were in love!"

"STOP!" Exploded Hayden.

"Now you know how it feels. When someone doesn't stop when you ask them too" said Flack angrily "This is exactly what you've been doing to me for the last two and a half years. Doesn't feel good does it?"

"We're one in the same" said Hayden "We're both murderers"

"We're nothing alike" Flack spat. How were they one in the same? He was a New York police department detective and Hayden was a coldblooded killer nine times over. They were nothing alike. "You murdered nine people. I shot her in self-defence."

"It was murder!" screeched Hayden "She didn't deserve to die"

"No, maybe she didn't. She was terrified, I know that now. At the time I didn't know all the facts… but you. You are to blame for her death" said Flack "Not me. You got rid of the knife he slit her cheek with, you got rid of the gun he tried to shoot her with and you cleaned his fingernails to get rid of her DNA! You made her look like a coldblooded killer! You destroyed her. Her whole life!"

"I loved her!" shouted Hayden

"You didn't love her. You abused her!" retorted Flack "We've got a solid witness to it! You beat her till she was too scared to leave you! Only she did have courage didn't she? She had someone who loved her didn't she? She had the courage to run away from you knowing you might come after her and kill her? She was brave, braver than you ever could be. She stuck up for her baby. If it weren't for her that baby would be dead or living with strangers. Only you took away her chance to be a mother to Rose when you destroyed crucial pieces of evidence! SO STOP BLAMING ME FOR YOUR MISTAKES. LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE… WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO JUMP OFF A BUILDING? DO THE WORLD A FAVOUR! GET RID OF ONE MORE PSYCHOPATH!"

"SHUT UP!" Roared Hayden.

"Do you know what really separates us apart?" said Flack "The love and respect we have for others. You have none. You don't love anyone, you don't care about anyone. You don't respect people. You have never respected the law. Me… I love my children, I love them"

"Jordan and Mikayla, the brain damaged baby" sneered Hayden.

"You did that to her. YOU." Raged Flack "I would go to the ends of the earth to protect them. Protect them from people like you! I love my fiancée. I want her forever and for always. I would do anything to protect her. I love my family. My sister, the one you murdered, and my brothers. I respect them. I respect the people I work for and with. I have the one thing you really don't have… and that's something worth fighting for!"

"No…" Hayden tailed off "…You have love…"

"What…" Flack muttered looked bewilderedly around the warehouse. "What do you mean?"

"This is done" snapped Hayden "RUN!"

Flack looked at the door, he ran to it. He tried to break it open but it was still deadlock sealed. "COME ON!" He yelled pulling on the handle and ramming the door with his shoulder. He was trapped and Hayden was about to do something. "OPEN THIS DOOR YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"RUN DETECTIVE FLACK RUN!" Hayden roared with laughter. Flack hammered on the door wildly, it didn't budge. "OPEN THIS DOOR!" the door stayed locked. Flack kicked it anger before yelling again "OPEN THIS DOOR!" he turned around and looked for another exit. But there weren't any, he was trapped. And then everything went up in flames.

Flack found himself been thrown across the room as an explosion tore through the entire building. As he landed on his back something flew towards him and landed on top of him crushing him causing him to yell in pain. The pain was indescribable and he knew he was going to die. He tried pushing the massive piece of debris off his body but his strength was fading fast and he made his body hurt even more "AAAAARRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" He yelled in frustration and agony. He turned his head, flames were licking the walls as if they were a small child licking an ice-lolly and rolling towards him like waves. His heart pounded at a million beats a minute. He was never ever going to see Mikayla or Jordan or Jamie ever again. Hayden had won, he had finally finished him off. He wrecked his life then killed him just like he'd said he would. With his hand he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his phone. It was partly crushed but it was still working but only just. He unlocked it and went to contacts. Soon he found Jamie's and clicked call. The phone rang and rang before going to answerphone "Jamie if you're listening to this then… then I'm probably dead… I just want you know to that I love you… I have loved you every minute I have known you. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. To grow old with you. To watch our kids grow up and have families of their own with you. You're the one I spent my whole life looking for and I have never loved anyone the way I love you." His eyes grew heavy and he grew dizzy but he didn't give up "I want Mikayla and Jordan to know I love them. That they are my world, they were the reason I stopped drinking. They were too important to lose. I would've done anything for them, to keep them safe and I would've never hurt them. I wanted to spend days with them, cherishing them, being the best father I could to them…" Pain roared through his whole body and his head pounded. His eyes grew heavy and he grew dizzy, he dropped his phone from his hand then everything went black…

Outside the four officers had been thrown to the ground by the enormous explosion. They scrambled back to their feet and checked they were ok. "Detective Flack!" said the first Officer Jake Green

"Call for the fire brigade and an ambulance!" said the second Officer Olivier Karter "I'm going to go and have a closer look. Green and Marcus with me. Henri call them now"

"Yes Olivier" replied Officer Henrietta Denis. The three officers went to take a look while Henrietta called the other emergency services. Within minutes the FDNY and the paramedics had arrived. The FDNY put out the fire and made the building structurally safe before allowing anyone to enter. They didn't allow the paramedics in as it was too dangerous for anyone to enter that wasn't properly trained. So they took oxygen and pain medicine with them. One of the firefighters put the oxygen mask over Flack's soot covered face and put a line in. they carefully removed the debris from his body and quickly and carefully lifted him up. They rushed out the building just in the nick of time as it collapsed seconds after they had managed to exit. Paramedics rushed over and put Flack on a stretcher and bundled him into the ambulance. As they rushed along Flack's heart stopped beating and he had to be resuscitated.

On their way back to the precinct in the patrol car Henrietta called their Lieutenant and gave him the awful news.

It was then Lieutenant Best's duty to inform Flack's next of kin, Jamie Lovato. He couldn't do this over the phone and they didn't exactly see eye to eye so he asked Mac if he would do it. He agreed. Mac drove straight round to their apartment with the grave news. Jamie buzzed him in and he came up to their apartment where Jamie let them in. "Hi Jamie" he sighed as she opened the door with Mikayla in her arms. Mikayla still hadn't settled and gone off to sleep.

"What's going on Mac?" she asked sitting down.

"I have bad news" Mac replied gravely, as he sat down in the armchair opposite the sofa. "About Don"

"Is he dead?" she trembled, her body suddenly starting to shake violently

"No" Mac shook his head "He isn't dead. But he is hurt. Very badly hurt I'm afraid"

"What happened?" she asked holding Mikayla tight in her arms. Was her baby about to lose her daddy?

"The building blew up. It looks like a bomb exploded there" explained Mac

"A bomb?" she gulped. Why did it have to be a bomb? Why now? WHY! WHY! WHY! "Is Hayden dead too?"

"No… it looks like he didn't show" replied Mac "But he may have planted the bomb and just sent the letter so Flack would go and he would set it off in the hope it would kill him outright "

"He wanted him dead so much that… he didn't see that it would be a trap" tears welled in her eyes. Then something dawned on her. Mikayla had been so clingy with him, not with her just with him. When she had put her down she had let go without a massive tantrum but when he had tried to lay her down she had clung to him for dear life. She had been trying stop him from going because she had sensed the danger that had been imminent, she knew he was going to get hurt.

"No one did. The hatred we have for him clouded our judgements and made us ignore the fact that it may have been a trap. Because we all wanted to believe he would show and that Flack could kill him, we lost sight of the obvious." Said Mac wisely

"I need to go to the hospital" said Jamie rising to her feet. But something else hit her, who was going to watch Jordan and Mikayla. Her mom, dad and two brothers had all gone back to their hometown for the week for a celebration with Lucas's wife's family. They hadn't been invited for two reasons. 1) She disliked Flack with a passion for some reason she had never said and 2) (the one that angered Jamie the most) Mikayla was a brain damaged toddler likely to cause a lot of problems. They had a massive fight over it resulting in Flack and Lucas having to pull them apart. There was no one to look after them. "I have no one to look after Jordan and Mikayla"

"I'll take them for the night" offered Mac "I'm sure Christine won't mind. She loves kids."

"Thanks" Jamie smiled wearily. She rushed into the twin's bedroom and packed them a bag of their things. She lifted the sleeping Jordan out his coat and looked at him; he was Flack's double and it caused her to shed a few tears. She carefully put Jordan in his coat and took him into the living room. Then she put Mikayla in her coat, Mikayla kept clinging to her which made her feel so upset. She had done that with Flack and now he was on the verge of life and death. "Go on uncle Mac wants a cuddle" she whispered "He's got buddy bear look". Mac waved buddy bear and Mikayla reached for it meaning Mac could take her in his arms. Once in his arms he gave buddy bear to her and held her tight. "I bet you're a real daddy's girl aren't you?" he said. She nodded in reply before snuggling up to him. Jamie took the sleeping Jordan in her arms and out their bag over her shoulder. They left the apartment and went down to their cars. She took their seats out and put them in Mac's car then strapped Mikayla and Jordan in. "Give me a call when you find out anything" said Mac as he climbed into his car.

"I will" she sighed before climbing into her car. She pulled away and sped to the hospital as fast as she could, her heart pounding at a million beats a second, was Flack dead or alive?

Flack was rushed to ER clinging on by a thread. Doctors and nurse rushed around the bed and started evaluating his injuries. The consultant shout orders at the doctors and nurses under his command and they did as he said. As the cut Flack's clothes off to make it easier to treat him the heart monitor started beeping erratically then flat lined. "He's in VF. Get the de fib. I'm going to start CPR"

"Have next of kin been called?" asked another doctor to one of the nurses

"No one's picking up there. Reception have left two messages." Replied the young nurse. The consultant pressed on with CPR trying to restart Flack's heart.

Jamie had just parked in the car park and was running as fast as she could into the hospital. She ran all the way to reception, her heart racing "My partner… Don Flack. Has he been brought in?" she panted, catching her breath and holding onto the counter.

"He's in resus" replied the receptionist "It's just through there" she pointed down the corridor.

"Thanks" Jamie smiled wearily at her before running off down the corridor towards resus. He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Not after everything they'd been through, he couldn't give up now. She ran so fast yet the corridor felt endless, like this torment. It too felt completely endless. Eventually she reached resus, skidding to a halt when she reached the door. A nurse came out to her "Can I go in?" she asked, her arms crossed, holding herself tightly.

"No" the nurse shook her head "You'll have to wait out here miss…"

"Lovato. Jamie" Jamie looked through the window, tears in her eyes as she watched the consultant resuscitated Flack, the love of her life. "I'm his fiancée"

"I'm so sorry" the nurse said sympathetically "His sister… she died here didn't she?"

"Yeah…" Jamie tailed off, how did she know? "How did you know that?"

"I was on her resus team… I saw your fiancée" she explained "I remember his face… I was with the doctor when he told him she had passed away. I've never seen a man break down that way before"

"They were close… it was a massive blow" tears rolled down Jamie's cheeks, her eyes still fixed on Flack. Watching them try to bring him back.

"Your twins… they were brought in too weren't they?" asked the nurse. She wasn't really helping Jamie right now. Constantly bringing up tragic events of recent years, events that rocked their lives and had, had massive consequences. Jamie simply nodded, tried to hold herself in from properly bursting into tears. "How are they doing?"

"Ok" Jamie sniffed holding her arms together even tighter, wishing she was in his arms. Wishing she was holding them tight in her arms, sharing one of their big family cuddles they all loved.

"My sister works in the paediatric unit" she said "She treated them… poor babies. How do you deal with something like that?"

"You don't" said Jamie, suddenly feeling so empty and alone "You struggle, you fight and then you break."

"Did you break?" asked the nurse.

"We both did" tears suddenly splashing down her cheeks, she had just let go and she couldn't hold her emotions in anymore. "It tested us"

"Have they caught him yet?" asked the nurse, referring to Hayden Jackson, the crazy lunatic who had just blown up her fiancée. Jamie snapped, anger roaring through her. It just felt like a stupid question. If they had caught him Flack wouldn't be in there being resuscitated.

"OF COURSE THEY HAVENT!" She snapped, tears still splashing down her cheeks "IF WE HAD HE WOULDN'T BE LYING IN THERE NOW. HE BLEW HIM UP! HE TRICKED HIM AND BLEW HIM UP!"

The nurse jumped back, startled by Jamie's sudden angry outburst. "I'm sorry" she whispered. Jamie sobbed harder. "BP's rising, I've got a strong pulse!" cried a nurse "He's back with us!" Jamie heard this and turned back to look through the window. She looked back into the room, the consultant was no longer resuscitating Flack. "He heard your voice… he couldn't give up on you" whispered the nurse. Jamie looked at her, it at first sounded like rubbish but the more Jamie thought about it the more plausible it became. Jamie's emotions overpowered her and she collapsed on the seat beside her, she couldn't bear to watch anymore. After what could've only been fifteen minutes they wheeled him out of resus and down a corridor. The nurse stopped her from going after him. "Where are they taking him?" she asked tears rolling down her cheeks.

"For a CT scan and multiple x-rays" replied the nurse "To determine any unseen injury and to establish the full extent of his injuries". Jamie nodded and sunk back into the chair. Another half an hour elapsed, the young nurse didn't leave Jamie's side; she was keeping her company while she waited on edge to know whether or not Flack was going to live. She watched them wheel him back into resus. "I think you can go in now" said the nurse. Jamie stood up and took a deep breath. The young nurse led her into the resus room. Jamie slowly walked over to the bed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She took Flack's hand in hers and held it tight, her tears dropping onto his hand. She wanted to say something but she couldn't seem to form a simple sentence now, her heart was broken. The consultant walked over to her. "I'm doctor Caurez. Are you Mr Flack's next of kin?" he asked

"I'm his fiancée… Jamie Lovato" she replied, wiping her cheeks "Is he ok?"

"Mr Flack has some very serious injuries miss Lovato" Dr Caurez replied gravely "His heart has already stopped twice since being pulled from the wreckage of the building. He has several deep lacerations to his face and body. His leg his badly broken, orthopaedics are coming to take a look at the damage. Also his spine may have been damaged, his body was crushed by an extremely heavy piece of debris, landing so I'm told directly onto his waistline. That alone could paralyze him from the waist down, I'm not a specialist in spinal injuries though so you'll have to wait for the specialist's opinion. But from the x-rays I have seen, he may well never walk again."

"Will he wake up?" she asked quietly

"I'm sorry I just can't say. His scan showed a haemorrhage on the brain, it's not good. He's lucky to be alive now, he really is. That is my honest opinion. In most cases like this, and we don't get that many, the patients are either DOA or die at the scene or on their way here. He has defied the odds already, we can't say for certain he won't again" explained Dr Caurez "I am aware he has been in before for very similar injuries about ten years ago and he pulled through then without any lasting damage on his long term health. Though this time, if he does regain consciousness, I'm not sure the long term impacts will be as limited. In saying all of this it is very unlikely he will ever regain consciousness. Of course we have to wait and hear what the neurosurgeons say, it's their area of expertise."

Jamie didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded and Dr Caurez walked off. She clung to his hand and cried with all her heart, he was gone and she knew it. Through all the tears Jamie didn't know that Flack could hear her sobbing her heart out and he could feel her clinging to his hand, he wanted to wake up so much but he couldn't.

More time elapsed before Dr Caurez came back over to her, followed by two other doctors. One was a young female, the other a mature male. "Miss Lovato this is Dr Krina Mullins, the neurosurgeon who will be operating on your fiancée. And Dr Henry cutler, the leading emergency orthopaedic surgeon." Jamie nodded.

"I have carefully analysed Mr Flack's CT scan, the damage is operable providing we operate immediately." Explained Dr Krina Mullins.

"Ok" Jamie nodded, trembling.

"We'll get him up now" replied Dr Mullins. Jamie gulped, not knowing whether your fiancée is going to live or die was incredibly tough.

"I have had a good look at Mr Flack's x-rays. The breaks in his leg are repairable. Providing we operate within the next six days. After that the bones will become too set in their current position and he could lose his leg altogether" explained Dr Henry cutler. Jamie nodded again, her mind running round in circles, how on the income they both brought in were they supposed to afford all this? It was crazy.

After a while several hospital porters arrived in resus to take Flack up to the OR for surgery. Jamie kissed his forehead before he was wheeled into surgery. "Be strong" she whispered before they pushed him away. She stood in the middle of the corridor feeling so lost and confused, just clinging onto the hope he would pull through. The young nurse who had earlier been consoling Jamie came over to her a said "Come I'll get you a coffee". She led Jamie to the hospital café and brought them both a coffee before getting a table. She talked to Jamie and made her feel a little more relaxed.

Then finally four hours later they received news that Flack was out of surgery. Jamie rushed straight up to ICU where she had been told he had been taken…


	17. Chapter 17: Don't Say Goodbye

Disclaimer

I do not own the song within this chapter. all rights belong to Delta Goodrem. "'Be Strong" By Delta Goodrem.

Also intended to be a short chapter.

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Chapter 17: Don't say goodbye

_Are you swimming upstream in oceans of blue?_

_Do you feel like your sinking?_

_Are you sick of the rain after all you've been through?_

_Well I know what you're thinking._

_When you can't take it _

_You can make it_

_Sometime soon I know you'll see_

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open and slowly went inside. She turned her head and looked at him. He was hooked up to so many machines and wires were attached to him everywhere. Holding back the tears she sat down in the chair beside the bed. She took his hand in hers and held it tight. Tears started rolling down her cheeks and she started to talk. "I know you can't hear me but I need you to know I love you. Please don't give up now. Not after everything. Jordan and mikie need you, I need you. You're the love of my life Don. I know things haven't always worked out the way we wanted. But if we just hang on they might. Cause I'm not ready to give up on you. When your sister died I should've been more understanding, I was just so stressed. You were grieving and I wanted you to act rationally. That was selfish, but things turned around. The twins love you, they adore you, and they look up to you. You're their dad, the best dad they could have. Just hang on in there and be strong"

C_ause when you're in your darkest hour_

_And all of the light just fades away_

_When you're a single flower whose colours have been turned to shades of grey_

_Well hang on and be strong_

Two doctors entered the room, one was Dr Krina Mullins, the other she didn't recognise. They gave her sympathetic looks as the second shut the door. "You'll be relieved to know the operation was a success. There was a minor complication, as his heart stopped twice. But other than that it went ok." Jamie nodded, not really taking it in. "We don't know for certain what the lasting damage is. But over time we should be able to give a reasonable prognosis". Jamie nodded before Dr Mullins left.

Jamie looked at the second doctor who stepped in to introduce himself "I'm Dr James, I'm going to be the sole doctor responsible for your fiancée's care. As far as I can see in terms of a prognosis and recovery it really doesn't look good I'm afraid."

"Go on" Jamie took a deep breath. She had to know his chances, if he could make it.

"His brain was seriously injured, which resulted in a haemorrhage. And as his heart has stopped four times oxygen was cut off from it. Meaning he could be permanently brain damaged. Also several of his internal organs were damaged, it's what we call a pressure injury. It basically means the force of the blast was powerful enough to damage some of the vital organs without any penetrating wounds."

"Will he make it?" asked Jamie, clinging to his hand.

"He is in a medically induced coma to preserve his brain function, on life support. He has some incredibly serious injuries. He is in a critical condition. It is unlikely he will ever regain consciousness. If he does the likelihood is that he will be brain damaged." Replied Dr James "I'd prepare for the worst". He gave her a sympathetic look before leaving. Jamie's heart crumbled into a thousand pieces, he had confirmed her worst nightmares. Flack was gone, he wasn't going to survive. Even if he did he wouldn't be himself, she was absolutely heartbroken. She wanted to kill Hayden now more than ever.

_We're taking each step one day at a time_

_You can't lose your spirit _

_Let live and let live forget and forgive_

_It's all how you see it_

_And just remember keep it together_

_Don't you know you're never alone?_

Jamie knew her life had changed, just knowing the one person you love most in the world, is gone, isn't going to wake up, was so painful. She was devastated and the tears followed down her cheeks. She stayed by his side all night, not sleeping at all. These could be their last moments together, she knew he could slip away at any time. That was the hardest part. As she sat there she took out her phone to text mac. She saw she had a voicemail. Then she saw who it was from. Curious she opened it and heard his voice speaking to her, telling her loved them all and saying his goodbyes. She just broke down again, it was heart breaking because he knew he was dying. His words spoke to her heart, if he did die she would treasure them. She would let Mikayla and Jordan hear them when they were older, to hear their dad's dying words of love to them. That's what he wanted. She kissed his forehead and whispered "I wanted those things with you too"

_Cause when you're in your darkest hour_

_And all of the light just fades away_

_When you're a single flower whose colours have been turned to shades of grey_

_Well hang on and be strong_

The following morning she was still there. She hadn't left his side all night and she hadn't slept at all. She was exhausted and starving. So he pushed out of the seat. As she walked over to the door it open and Mac walked in carrying Jordan in his arms. Christine came in after him and closed the door. "Mac. Christine" she said, a little shocked "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see how Don was doing" replied Mac bouncing godson Jordan in his arms. "And I'm really sorry but I have to head to work, we're working this case"

"Ok" Jamie nodded "It doesn't look good. He probably won't wake up. His injuries are really serious. He's got a brain injury, they don't think he'll ever regain consciousness. The orthopaedic surgeons said he may never walk again if he does wake up, he has a spinal injury and a broken leg."

"I'm so sorry" said mac sympathetically as Jordan reached towards the bed with his hands. "If there's anything we can do just let me know". She nodded and took Jordan and sat him beside Flack on the bed. He wrapped his small hand around Flack's finger and held it tightly.

"He called me… before he passed out" said Jamie, her emotions all over the place "To say goodbye". Mac placed a hand on her arm reassuringly. "He's tough, he will fight to the very end. He has so much to live for though, he wouldn't give up on it." Tears slipped down Jamie's cheeks. Mikayla reached for her so she took her in her arms and cuddled her protectively. Mikayla held her tightly, as if she were trying to comfort her. She snuggled into her chest and held her tightly. "Were they ok?" asked Jamie wiping her cheeks.

"They were as good as gold" smiled Christine "I'd be happy to take them again if you needed. Or if you just needed somebody to watch them for a few hours"

"Thanks" Jamie nodded. Mac took Jamie's car key and put Mikayla and Jordan's seats back in her car then returned to the room to give them back. He and Christine then left them alone. Mikayla seemed to be quite upset by her seeing her daddy in such a bad while Jordan wasn't really fazed by it. They stayed a little while longer before leaving. She took them home. But it felt different, emptier without Flack there.

_No you're not defeated_

_And soon you'll be smiling once again_

_Then you won't have to feel it_

_Let it go with the wind_

_Time passes us by _

_And know that you're allowed to cry._

She thought of all the memories they had shared there. All those passionate nights they had shared together, all the giggles and cuddles they had shared with each other and with Mikayla and Jordan. All the jokes they had shared, all the criticisms they had made while watching TV. Flack had proposed to her there, the first time in their bed when she had been twenty weeks pregnant with Mikayla and Jordan. The second time just four days ago. That had been so romantic, the candlelit dinner and them alone. All those memories, they may be all she had left of him. Everything they had and might've had may have been snatched away from them. Their children may have been robbed of their father, she couldn't bear the thought of them growing up without him.

_Cause when you're in your darkest hour_

_And all of the light just fades away_

_When you're a single flower whose colours have been turned to shades of grey_

_Well hang on and be strong_

By the next day all their colleagues from the crime lab had visited Flack and had sent messages of their best wishes and of hope that he would get better. Danny had stayed for the longest though, Jamie had been there then, it had been nice to have some company. They talked too, reminisced Flack, Danny had a lot of memories of Flack because he had known him much longer but it was just good to remember him. They weren't going to, if he did die, remember him this way. They were going to remember him the way he had been, the street smart, sarcastic yet equally lovable Flack. Danny also let Jamie in on how well they were pressing on with the case. "We salvaged the material from the wire he was wearing" said Danny "They were arguing with each other. Flack was taunting him a lot, telling him to come and face him like a man and calling him a coward. Then Hayden said the weirdest thing, something we've all been trying to figure out"

"What was it?" asked Jamie

"Flack said what sets them apart is the love and respect for others more than anything" explained Danny "Hayden said no, you have love"

"What does that mean?" frowned Jamie

"No idea. But I think, I've got a feeling it means that he, Hayden, doesn't have love whereas Flack does. He's loved by you, by Mikayla and Jordan, by his family. He's jealous of that. Jealous that Flack is surrounded by love and he has none." Jamie bit her lip. It did make sense, he did have love, there were lots of people who care about him, Hayden was jealous of that because no one loved him, and no one cared about him. There was only one thing people wanted from him and that was dead. He was a psychopath who needed stopping. He was capable of destruction, he had proved that with Flack in more than one way. The first being the murder of his sister, that had wrecked him emotionally, it had destroyed him inside. The second being he had landed him a critical condition he was unlikely to wake from. He was an explosion waiting to happen, or one that happened over and over again without fail.

Danny also informed her they had found Hayden's prints to link to explosion and CCTV footage from the site. He was done for. All they had to do was catch him. And that was the hardest part, harder than linking him to the crime because this boy seemed to vanish into the crowds and become untraceable. He was a clever kid and he used it to his advantage to seemingly outwit his opponents. But one of them, just one, the one who was struggling the most, the one with the heart that cared for her family, would come back and bite him the arse. She would finally end his reign of terror over them.


	18. Chapter 18: Rule Breakers

Again I was going to split this chapter in two but I have a lot of schoolwork on because I am in Yr11 and my exams start next week, so i have left it as one. Also because my exams start next week I probably won't be updating much till after the 17th of june which is when my exams finish. Hope you like it. Please R&R

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Chapter 18: Rule Breakers

Seven weeks had passed since the explosion and Flack was still on life support and Hayden was still on the loose. Jamie had been by his side as much as she could and had brought the twins to see their dad, often in the hope he would respond to them and start to show signs of improvement, of living. The doctors were recommending switching the support of, it was only giving them false hope. He was probably brain dead anyway as his brain had been starved of oxygen for so long. How was she supposed to do it, she just wanted to wait a tiny bit longer. Joe and Kane had both flown in to visit. Their opinions were all conflicting the others. Joe believed they should let him go while Kane thought they should wait a bit longer. His argument was strong, they had only lost Sam a year ago, and he didn't want to lose his brother too. This had led them to row about it in the hospital after the doctor had left the room following giving them an update on their brothers condition. "It's just cruel keeping him alive" said Joe

"He's our brother!" retorted Kane "We're supposed to protect him. Not kill him!"

"It's not killing him. It's letting him die with dignity" said Joe "You heard what the doctor said. He's probably brain dead. He's clearly in pain. Even if wakes up, which is highly unlikely he won't be the same person, he'll be dependent on other people"

"Well that will be my problem" said Jamie, chipping in "He's my partner, if you don't want look after your own flesh and blood, I will."

"The twins have only just turned two" said Joe "It will be too hard on you"

"So you'd rather switch the machine off, let him die because it would be easier on everyone?" asked Jamie, suddenly seething with anger. That was what Joe seemed to be implying would be best.

"That's not what I mean!" replied Joe "The twin's need you and the pressure will be too much on you. You've already got a brain damaged child, having a brain damaged partner will be ten times harder"

"Don't you dare use my child in your argument!" she snapped "Don't you dare!"

"Joe, it's next of kin's decision to turn the machine off" said Kane "Not ours"

"So we don't even get a say in whether we should keep our brother alive, keep him suffering and end up leaving him dependent on everyone else or letting him die with dignity!" seethed Joe

"You are having a say!" stated Jamie "You think I would make this decision without you? You are his brothers, his family. You have a right to have a say whether we keep him alive or let him die… now… with dignity"

"Kane mate you've got to be on my side! You don't want to watch him suffer do you?" Joe asked angrily.

"No I don't but I don't want him to die either" said Kane "We only lost Sam just over a year ago. I don't want to lose him too"

"So you'd rather see him suffer?" raged Joe.

"NO!" Shouted Kane. The door opened and a nurse came. "Please could stop shouting at each other or you will all have to leave and take this disagreement somewhere else. Thank you". Then she left again. They all looked at each other, looking for the answer to the most difficult question the may ever have to answer. Should they let him go?

As they stood there, searching their souls for the answer something happened. Something amazing, small yet incredibly significant. There was a gentle whistling sound which lasted a few seconds before dying out. None of them knew what it was. "Dad" said Jordan clinging to Flack's hand.

A few minutes later the doctor entered. As he did the whistling happened again. Dr James smiled. "What is it?" asked Jamie

"He's tripped the machine. He's breathing on his own" explained Dr James. "It also means his brain is sending signals. We need our brains to send signals to our lungs to tell them to breathe, he's doing that. It's a good sign"

Dr James removed the tube from Flack's throat and ran a series of tests. While he was doing this Jamie, Joe and Kane had to wait outside. "He's breathing on his own now" said Kane "It's out of our hands"

"He could pull through" said Jamie bouncing Mikayla on her knee "We just have to wait"

"But he could be severely brain damaged or even brain dead" sighed Joe "We just don't know what to expect"

After a while Dr James came out to talk to them. "I have news" he began "Please come inside" so they went inside and he shut the door behind them. Jamie looked at Flack, though he was still hooked up to several machines there was no longer a tube in his mouth, he looked somewhat different. "I ran several tests, including brain function. It seems Mr Flack's brain function is increasing again. When he was first placed under my care his brain function was at just ten per cent. But his brain is regaining function. It seems the decreased function was only temporary. We can't say for absolutely certain until he wakes up but he may well regain complete brain function. As he is now breathing on his own, he is off life support but he remains in a coma. The coma however, is no longer medically induced, it is natural. But I would not raise your hopes too much though, many patients do not wake from comas."

"But he could wake up and be ok?" asked Jamie

"Yes. Hypothetically speaking. It is very possible" replied Dr James "He could wake up with full brain function and live a normal life"

Jamie, Joe and Kane nodded. Maybe just maybe, things were going to turn out the way all wanted it to. Dr James left again. "I just hope he does wake up" sighed Kane as a phone started ringing. It's was Joe's "I gotta take this" he said before stepping out. Jamie and Kane didn't know what to say to each other so they just sat in silence either side of Flack's bed. Joe returned ten minutes later. "I have to go back to Toronto. Frankie's fallen of his bike and broken his leg" he explained.

"Ok" said Kane "Hope he's ok". Joe nodded before rushing off to airport to catch the next available flight hope.

When Jamie left Kane was still there. She'd decided to go home because she was exhausted and the twins needed to go to bed. So she put them to sleep then curled up on the sofa and watched TV alone. She eventually fell asleep there because she was so tired. Her mind was running round in circles. She was only just coping on her own and she was still in the grey area of knowing whether or not Flack was going to die. It had been hard on all of them.

The next morning when she woke up she ran straight to the bathroom to hurl. She was in there for a while just hurling her guts up. She had barely eaten anything, how could she be this sick? Eventually she stopping hurling, well she had to hold it in because Mikayla started bawling. So Jamie forced the sick down her throat and went to sort her out. She gave her a bottle of milk and sat her on the mat with buddy bear and some building blocks. She put Jordan in his high chair and gave him some Weetabix before running off to hurl again. When she came back Mikayla was playing contently with buddy bear and Jordan had finished his Weetabix and was waiting to be taken out of his highchair. "Mommy sick" he said as she lifted him out of his highchair and put him down on the floor. She got herself dressed and had a good wash, trying to get rick of the smell of sick, her sick. The she dressed Mikayla and Jordan, who was being as hyperactive ever. "Daddy home!" he cried excitedly

"I don't know" she replied pulling his shirt over his head "He's getting better."

"Home. He come home" smiled Jordan.

"Hopefully" she nodded giving him a cuddle. She had to work and by now she felt better, the sickness had gone. So she dropped them off with her mom and headed onto work. She hated when people tiptoed round her because of what had happened to Flack, she knew they were sympathetic to her and didn't want to upset her but she didn't need to be tiptoed around. She was an adult, not a child.

The sickness persisted over the next few days, she hated it. This was a time she did not want to be constantly hurling her guts up. She was exhausted, knowing she needed a break, time on her own she talked to her mom. "Mom I was wondering if you could have Mikayla and Jordan for a few days"

"Why?" she asked

"I'm stressed mom" she sighed "I'm on my own with them when I'm not working, I don't have any time to myself and I'm worried about Don. I love them to bits but I just need a few days on my own. To get my head straight"

"It's understandable" said her mom placing her hand on her arm "You're worried about him, about being on your own permanently"

"He's breathing on his own now but they still can't say if he'll definitely wake up" said Jamie, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't want to lose him, I can't lose him. I need him, the twins need him"

"I know sweetheart" her mom sighed "Are you feeling ok?" she asked suddenly "You don't look well"

"I've been sick a few times over the last few days" replied Jamie "But I hardly eat and I completely exhausted. That's why I need a break. I need to rest"

"Ok" she nodded.

Mikayla and Jordan stayed with her mom for a week and she rested and relaxed but the sickness still persisted and the exhaustion remained. She saw them twice but she needed space, to clear head and think about the future. She was wondering if Flack did wake up and he was ok, if they should move away from New York. The last two and half years had been absolute hell, maybe they needed a fresh start somewhere else. Maybe it would do them all good. After a week she brought them home, now feeling a little refreshed and relaxed. But the sickness and exhausted remained and persisted. She had been so busy worrying about other things that she had overlooked the symptoms until now. Now she had cleared her head, it was clear what it could be and that thought worried her. Nervously she purchased a test in the local drug store and went home to do it. Locking herself in the bathroom she read the instructions and carried out the test. Once she had done she left the bathroom and sat down on the sofa beside Jordan who was in grossed in his favourite cartoon on the children's channel. Soon time was up and she peered at the tests. "No" she shook her head, clamping her hand over her mouth. "Not now!"

"Wrong mommy?" asked Jordan

"Nothing" she shook her head "Go on watch the cartoon". She held the stick in her hand, she was pregnant again. This wasn't the time, but she was a strong advocate of pro-life meaning she disagreed with abortion. She just had to hope Flack would wake up.

Three days later at work she had really been feeling the pressure, she was exhausted and struggling to keep her food down. She wanted to go home but her partner decided some fresh air would do her good so he took her out on an arrest. "I want to go home" she insisted

"The fresh air will do you good" he replied "Look let's just get him, take him back to the precinct then you can go home and lay on the sofa"

"Ok" she sighed. They took the lift up to the apartment of their suspect, but as it went up she felt drowsy and her whole body felt heavy. By the time they reached the suspects apartment she felt as if she were about to collapse. "Can I use your bathroom?" she asked feeling nauseous.

"It's just through there" replied the mom of the suspect. "Thanks" she smiled wearily before dashing into the bathroom to hurl. After hurling three times she stood up and flushed it away. She tried to walk out but she felt so disorientated that she could hardly walk in a straight line. Her eyes grew heavy and she held her stomach. Her legs suddenly buckled and she fell to the floor and everything went black.

When she woke up again she was in the ER. "What's going on?" she asked

"You collapsed" replied doctor

"Yeah… I didn't feel well" she said trying to sit up.

"I need to ask you a question." Said the doctor "Are you pregnant"

"Yes… I think so" she nodded. He gave her a concerned look then arranged an ultrasound. She was twelve weeks, she could barely believe it. The doctor gave a picture and kept her in overnight for observation and discharged her the next morning. Telling her to relax and take some time off work. Which her boss agreed to.

Three days later she received a phone call telling her to meet someone at the warehouse where Hayden had attempted to kill Flack. Knowing it was Hayden she loaded her gun, with the intent to kill him and went there. He smirked at her when he saw her. "How's detective Flack doing?"

"He's getting better, no thanks to you" she snapped, holding her gun firmly in her hand. She just wanted to end this, so why hadn't fired already?

"How far along are you?" he smirked

"What?" she gulped

"You're pregnant aren't you?" he grinned taking something out of his pocket. It was her positive pregnancy test from the week before.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, trembling with rage. She remembered he had a key to their apartment. He'd just walked in there and taken it.

"I'll just kill it now" he smiled. He had a picture too. The ultrasound image the doctor had given her when she had collapsed.

"No you won't" she replied, anger flying through her veins. "I've had enough of you ruining my family. This ends now. This ends right here right now"

"I don't think so" he shook his head and pulled a gun. Before she thought she had fired, he fell to the floor and she ran over to him and fired again as went down. The bullet hit him in the back, he couldn't move. Realising she may have killed in him cold blood she called for an ambulance and he was taken to hospital. Where he was told he was paralysed permanently.

Jamie gave a statement and she thought it was over. But five days after the shooting she got a knock on her door. It was four officers from her precinct. "What's going on?" she asked, confused. Why were they here?

"Jamie Lovato you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Hayden Jackson" said the officer Henrietta.

"What!" she exclaimed "No! NO!"

Henrietta cuffed Jamie's wrists and Olivier and Marcus took her arms and started to lead her away. "No!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks "My kids! They need me!"

"Come on detective this isn't going to help" sighed Olivier. She struggled with them as they led her down the corridor. People started coming out of their apartments to see what all the commotion was. "What's going on?" asked their neighbour, Brenna.

"Miss Lovato is under arrest for attempted murder" replied Marcus "Now please mam, step back." They took her down to the patrol car and too her to the precinct. It was humiliating being booked in there, she worked there.

She was soon taken to an interrogation room to be interrogated. "Mr Jackson is claiming you tried to murder him Jamie" said Lt. Best.

"I shot him" she replied "I know what I did"

"But he hadn't fired at you had he?" said Detective Mendez.

"He had a gun" said Jamie "He was going to kill me"

"But he didn't fire Jamie, if he had it would've been self-defence but you were the only one who fired" said Lt. Best.

"He knew things. Things he shouldn't know" tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head "He had things he shouldn't have. Things from my apartment"

"What things?" asked Lt. Best.

"A pregnancy test" she sighed "A positive one. Which I did last week and put in my bedside drawer. And a scan of the baby, which I had done when I collapsed. He said he knew I was pregnant. He said he was going to kill it. I couldn't let him kill my baby and I couldn't bring another child into this nightmare. I had to end it."

"Do you want him dead?" asked Detective "Did you go there with the intent to kill him?" Jamie looked at him, of course she wanted him dead but if she said she did she would get convicted easily. They would argue she had gone there with the intent of killing, which all fairness she had, but they didn't need to know this.

"No I didn't go with the intent to kill him" she replied "I'm not a coldblooded killer. I would never shoot in cold blood."

"Very well" nodded Lt. Best. "But you do know the evidence we have against you is strong. There is every possibility you will be convicted of attempted murder in the first degree"

"I want to speak to an attorney" she said.

"I'll arrange it" said Detective Mendez before him and Lt. Best left the interrogation room. Jamie sunk her head into hands and started to cry. She just wanted to scream. She had tried to end it, to stop him from killing her or hurting someone else and now she was in custody for attempting to kill him. The justice system in New York seemed totally unfair, a murder nine times over could still claim a woman whom he had spent over two years harassing had tried to take his life after he had been tried and convicted of trying to take hers and her then unborn twins. How was that fair?

Four days later the case was taken to arraignment court. "My client moves for a plea of not guilty your honour" said her defence lawyer, Mr Gardener

"Your honour the defendant tried to kill my client and has left him permanently paralyzed he will never walk again." said Hayden's lawyer, Mr Fredrick's

"Your honour Mr Jackson is a tried and convicted serial killer who has spent two and half years embarking on an extreme hate campaign towards my client and her family" her lawyer stepped in. "I move to drop the charges against my client as this would be rewarding Mr Jackson's bad behaviour by allowing my client to be tried and possibly convicted of attempting to kill him."

"There is no justifiable reason to drop the charges against Miss Lovato" said the chief judge "Do the people seek remand or bail for the defendant?"

"The people move for remand your honour" replied Mr Fredrick's "The defendant poses a threat to the community and to her own children"

"I move towards bail for my client. She has two year old twins your honour" said Mr Gardener "One of whom is brain damaged because of Mr Jacksons actions and her partner, their father is still in a coma, which is also a result of Mr Jacksons actions"

"Mr Jackson is not the one on trial here Mr Gardener." Said the chief judge "Miss Lovato will be remanded in custody in Pennsylvania state prison." There was outcry of fury in the gallery from her friends from the crime lab. Including Danny, Lindsay, Adam, Jo and Mac.

"What about Miss Lovato's children?" asked Mr Gardener.

"They will be placed in the care of their godfather until further arrangements can be made" replied the Judge. "Next case"

Jamie was led away from the court in tears. She was allowed to say goodbye to Jordan and Mikayla before she was taken away. "Now you be good for uncle mac" she whispered hugging both tightly before kissing each of their heads. "Mommy loves you and so does daddy"

"Times up" said the officer. Mac took Mikayla in his arms and held Jordan's hand. "We're all behind you Jamie" he said "We'll all be there at your trial to support you." She nodded tearfully before she was led to a van. Jamie was devastated, she was thirteen weeks pregnant, she had two year old twins, her fiancée was still in a coma and she had been arrested for attempted murder and had been remanded into custody. How could things get any worse?

Mac took Jordan and Mikayla home to his shocked wife. "Mac why didn't you call?"

"It was heat of the moment" said Mac "Jamie didn't make bail, they've remanded her in custody. We all thought she would make bail, the judge wasn't very understanding of her circumstances."

"She is a struggling single mom. How can they believe she would try to kill someone and risk losing them?" asked Christine

"Because she did try to kill him" sighed Mac "She shot him in self-defence. In fear of her own life. She'd had enough. Hayden had tried to ruin their lives so many times. He trashed their apartment, he sent them hate mail, sabotaged her car causing a crash, kidnapped her, tried to murder her, he shot Mikayla and Jordan, leaving Mikayla brain damaged, killed Samantha, cancelled their wedding, which resulted in them splitting up briefly and he blew Don up, leaving her totally convinced he is never going to wake up. He pushed her too far. She hit breaking point and protected her family by trying to kill him."

"The jury won't convict her will they? When they hear what he's put them through they will see she doesn't deserve to be convicted"

"I don't know his lawyer is good." Said Mac. "She could lose everything and he will get exactly what he wants. If they convict it will be like rewarding him for being a serial killer and a psychopath."

Later that night, once Mikayla and Jordan were tucked up on the sofa Mac left to see Flack in the hospital. "Is he improving at all?" Mac asked Dr James

"Yes. His progress is good, he may wake soon" replied Dr James before walking off.

Mac looked at Flack, he had seen him this way before and he hated it. He had responded to him then by squeezing his hand so he decided to try it again. "Don you need to wake up, Jamie's been arrested for attempted murder, she needs you. The twins need you. She's been remanded and the case is going to trial. She could be convicted. If you can hear me squeeze my hand" said Mac. And flack squeezed his had letting him know he was still in there. He was still fighting and holding on.

Mac spoke to Jamie over the phone in scheduled phone calls from the prison and he went to visit her once. He kept her up to date with Flack's progress and let her know how the twins were getting on. He had even put them on the phone which had made her cry.

Her cellmate was anything but nice. She had sniffed out that she was a member of the filth within seconds and had held it over her. She thought she could control Jamie but Jamie had the strength to put up with it and ignore her. As it was an open prison she also came into contact with other prisoners, some on remand and some serving sentences. Everyone knew she was a cop within two days of her arriving there meaning she didn't get on with any of them. It was very lonely. She often stayed in her cell to avoid the others. But they ganged up on her and tried to get her to make illegal phone calls and accused her off grassing if any of the prisoners in the block got into trouble. It was a horrible and lowly existence. She hoped her trail would go in her favour she would get out of here and live her life again. But she knew her chances of that were very slim. And that broke her. She missed her children every single minute. She hated being away from them, it felt like a part of her was missing, the most important part.

Then Mac, as closet thing Flack currently had to a next of kin received a phone call from Danny, telling him Flack was starting to come round. He rushed straight there and three hours later he opened his eyes properly for the first time in ten long weeks. He couldn't talk at all or comprehend them either. All he knew was Jamie wasn't there. Doctor James confirmed that his brain was fully functioning and that this confusion would pass. He also revealed Flack's spine had healed and wasn't compromised meaning he would hopefully walk again. His confusion passed after two days. After two days Mac was able to explain what had happened. "Jamie's been arrested" he explained "She's on remand awaiting trial at Pennsylvania state prison"

"What happened?" Asked Flack

"Hayden called her. Told her to meet him at the wolf and sons abandoned warehouse. He starting showing her things from your apartment that he taken. Then he told her he was going to kill her. He pulled his gun and she shot him twice before he had a chance to fire. She paralyzed him for good. He's claiming she tried to kill him. She's claiming self-defence. The judge remanded her, she's pleading not guilty but it doesn't look good. Hayden's lawyer will rip her story apart, he will tear into her until she's reduced to a sobbing heap on the stand, until he breaks her."

"If she is convicted he gets exactly what he wants. He wins. Allowing a trial to even happen is like rewarding his psychopathic tendencies!"

"I know. Her attorney has been submitting motions to dismiss the charges, to exclude certain pieces of evidence but they've all been denied. They judicial system is wrong here. It seems to be working favour of a convicted serial killer."

"What about Mikayla and Jordan?" he asked

"They're staying with me and Christine as Jamie's family haven't been allowed to take them. But they're ok. They're missing you both. Jordan asks for you all the time and he cries for Jamie at night. Mikayla clings to us, she wants you both back."

Flack was furious. Hayden was getting everything he wanted, Jamie was locked up, he had been unconscious for two and half months and their children had been taken away from them. The system was working to his tune. It had to stop. It had to end.

They were allowed a phone call, during which she informed him of her pregnancy and told him she was relieved he was ok. To hear his voice again was one of the biggest reliefs she had ever felt. He was a bit shocked when she told him she was pregnant but he knew he would go to any lengths to protect her, to protect their unborn baby.

Some people had a talk, including Jamie's lawyer to discuss whether he should be allowed to visit her in prison on an unscheduled visit, not at the same time as all the others in the block. After a few days of deliberation the visit was granted. But first Flack's doctor was still reluctant to discharge him for the day. He had been conscious two weeks, but his condition was still debateable. His back wasn't broken, any damage that had been inflicted on it had healed but his leg, which had been broken in three places wasn't. It was going to take a while to heal. Flack was putting his case across again. "She's on remand awaiting trial for attempted murder!" he said "I want to visit her"

"You've just woken from a coma, you're in no fit state to leave this hospital yet" replied Dr James.

"She is my fiancée" stated flack, feeling incredibly angry. Anger over the fact his fiancée was on remand for attempting to kill their stalker from hell and the he couldn't go and see her. "She is pregnant and I want to see her!"

"Who is going to take you?" asked Dr James

"Mac Taylor" replied Flack "He's a sensible guy, he wouldn't do anything that would cause me any harm"

"Fine. But only for the day" Dr James finally relented.

Mac spoke to Jamie on his behalf and she was relieved that he was coming. She had missed him so much, he had been unconscious for ten weeks, and she had honestly believed he would die. It was an awful feeling that she had hated but with the evidence she had seen of his then critical condition it hadn't been a stupid one, everyone had been convinced he was going to die, none of them had realistically believed he would pull through.

Jamie's cellmate had gotten mad that Jamie had been allowed an unscheduled visit. She had never had one so she and two other prisoners ganged up on Jamie the morning of the day Flack was due to visit her and took matters into their own hands. They had glared at her viciously during breakfast which had made her feel incredibly uneasy, though they may have been the nausea caused by her pregnancy. Of which she was now seventeen weeks along and starting to show. Her cellmate, Bambi, hadn't noticed thank god or she would've probably done something very nasty. After eating she went for a shower and a good wash before getting dressed. She returned to her cell and sat on her bed thinking about seeing Flack, she just wanted to see him again, to hear him talk to her. To show he really was better. As she sat there Bambi came in with her goonies and they shut the door behind them. "No one gets unscheduled visits. You get special privileges cause you're a cop!"

"I don't" replied Jamie. Bambi laughed and grabbed her cheeks and spat in her face. Jamie shoved her away but Bambi and her goonies went for her. They overpowered her very quickly. Soon throwing her to the floor where they started kicking her. "Stop!" she cried "I'm pregnant!"

"That's why she's getting extra privileges!" spat one of Bambi's goonies. Bambi's goonies picked her up off the floor and pinned her against the wall. Bambi to a knife she had made herself and cut Jamie's shirt off just to check she wasn't lying about being pregnant. "Well look at that. It's a baby"

"How far?" asked one of Bambi's goonies

"Seventeen weeks" she stuttered feeling blood flowing out of her lip and nose "Get off me! Bambi's goonies threw her down and left. She crawled onto her bed and started to sob in agony. The guard came to collect her for her visit from Flack but he was shocked by what he saw. "Miss Lovato!" he exclaimed "What happened?" he came inside the cell and kneeled down beside her. She was lying on her back on her bed, covered in fresh bruises and her own blood. "Bambi" she whispered "And Bunny and Cat."

"They beat you up?" he asked. She nodded wiping her cheeks. He rushed off to get the prison doctor who took her to the infirmary to be treated. Due to the fact they had kicked her in the stomach he did a scan relieving her that they hadn't harmed her unborn baby. The guard then took her back to her cell to get changed out of her ripped clothes.

When Flack saw her covered in bruises, fresh bruises he was furious. She had beaten up whilst pregnant whilst on remand awaiting trial. She told him what had happened that morning. This was, indirectly, Hayden's fault. They talked and she explained what had happened the day of the shooting. That she had just wanted to end it. When he had to leave they hugged for ages not wanting to let each other go. They were holding on tight to each other. They couldn't bear to be apart.

Mikayla and Jordan remained with Mac and Christine but Flack saw them regularly and they were thrilled he was back. The showed their affections by giving him cuddles and giving him things. They still missed Jamie though, they still cried for her in the night because after all she was their mom and she loved them and they adored her, they loved her. Flack and Mac had taken them too see her twice. She had given them cuddles and kissed to make up for all those she'd missed and was going to miss. Her heart ached for them every single moment she was in that wing with her violent cell mate who had a habit of hitting her when she was mad.

A date was soon set for the trial, meaning they could see when the decisions for the best part of the rest of their lives, would and could be made. Jamie sat down with her lawyer for ages discussing what was going to be said and how they were going to play it. Jamie's strength kept her going and Flack had assured he was going to be there every single day to support her because he loved her with all of his heart.


End file.
